Juvenile Diabetes-3 years old.

[Gillian_Angela]

If anyone has a child with Juvenile diabetes, can you please just give me a few tips/suggestions.

My mom is a juvenile diabetic, so I know the jist. But, I'm going to be watching a 3 year old, Spencer, who was just diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes.

I just talked with his mom and she is still kind of new to all of this too. She said they are mostly watching his carbs and trying to up his protein. He's a picky eater...and they are having trouble introducing him to new things. So he likes pizza, chicken nuggets, and apple juice.

Can anyone give me signs of what to look for in a 3 y/o or what foods would be good for him?

[Saigon]

Well I've not dealt with a child. But you should probably watch for the same signs as you would in an adult. Spikes in his glucose levels, irritability, increased urination, fatigue, Sometimes when DH is having sugar issues his breath kinda smells...fruity I guess. Like a fruit salad. lol that sounds crazy I know.

Um, shaking, even a little tremble in the hands could be a warning sign or shallow breathing.

I know eggs are usually ok. And cheeses. Maybe some cheese cubes to snack on?

There are a lot of vegetables that have a low carb content.

You should check with the mom, I know DH has some emergency snacks around for when his blood sugar bottoms out as well as glucose tablets.

I wish I could help. good luck

[Gillian_Angela]

Originally Posted by Saigon Well I've not dealt with a child. But you should probably watch for the same signs as you would in an adult. Spikes in his glucose levels, irritability, increased urination, fatigue, Sometimes when DH is having sugar issues his breath kinda smells...fruity I guess. Like a fruit salad. lol that sounds crazy I know. Um, shaking, even a little tremble in the hands could be a warning sign or shallow breathing. I know eggs are usually ok. And cheeses. Maybe some cheese cubes to snack on? There are a lot of vegetables that have a low carb content. You should check with the mom, I know DH has some emergency snacks around for when his blood sugar bottoms out as well as glucose tablets. I wish I could help. good luck

Thanks that did help.

I guess I'm just nervous because, I know what signs to look for in my mom. But she is 46, and a woman.

I'm kind of nervous that some signs might just be normal toddler behavior, and the fact that he is only 3 and might not tell me he's hungry or what not.

I know she said they have the 100 Calorie packs and they like to give him apple juice. She said they are having trouble introducing him to certain foods because he is so picky. When I asked about orange juice, they said he doesn't like orange juice and they give him apple

I guess I'll just go by what they have in the fridge. I'm really nervous about giving him shots though. I can give shots to my mom no problem, but I'm worried about giving a 3 y/o shots. She mentioned something to me about where they generally give him shots, and I'm just like . I guess I'm just not comfortable with it and worried that I will hurt him.

[jen1982]

I am a Type 1 (otherwise known as Juvenile) I would agree with Saigon. Watch for irritability, and other changes in mood. Sometimes touching the skin can be an indicator. I get really clammy and cold when I am low, and super hot when high. My husband can tell by touching me that there is something wrong.

Before you do ANYTHING make sure you test his sugar. Sometimes symptoms of lows can be very similar to highs, and you don't want to administer insulin or give food to someone who is suffering from the opposite of what you thought. Him being a Type 1, they more than likely have all of his testing supplies easily accessible and will be able to tell you how to use it if the machine happens to be different than what your mom uses. His typical low may be lower or higher than another diabetics, so ask them what a comfortable level is for him. I tend to have issues with lows when I get as low as 50, but my brother can feel them and suffer confusion from levels closer to 80.

Also, if you do encounter a low, try the 15 15 method. Check the sugar, administer 15 carbs (a 100 calorie pack works amazingly but a half of cup of fruit juice will also do well if he won't eat. ) and then wait 15 minutes. After 15 minutes test again. If the sugar is not going up, give 15 more carbs, and wait 15 more minutes. Repeat until sugar is back to normal. You want to avoid over correcting a low, because a high later is not something you will want to deal with. Another tip for treating lows, is not to give anything with a high fat content. Higher fat foods take longer to digest, and longer to get into the blood stream to raise the glucose level.

The parents should be able to tell you if he will need any insulin and when. Most type 1's give insulin with their meals, and possibly a background insulin like Lantus. Don't forget to just ask them if there's anything specific that you need to know about him. All Diabetics are different, and his low symptoms may be bizarre compared to your mothers, mine, or anyone else's.

Awesome that you are going to baby sit for the parent of a diabetic. I know that sometimes people who are willing to watch a child with an illness is hard to find. Good for you.

[Gillian_Angela]

Originally Posted by jen1982 I am a Type 1 (otherwise known as Juvenile) I would agree with Saigon. Watch for irritability, and other changes in mood. Sometimes touching the skin can be an indicator. I get really clammy and cold when I am low, and super hot when high. My husband can tell by touching me that there is something wrong. Before you do ANYTHING make sure you test his sugar. Sometimes symptoms of lows can be very similar to highs, and you don't want to administer insulin or give food to someone who is suffering from the opposite of what you thought. Him being a Type 1, they more than likely have all of his testing supplies easily accessible and will be able to tell you how to use it if the machine happens to be different than what your mom uses. His typical low may be lower or higher than another diabetics, so ask them what a comfortable level is for him. I tend to have issues with lows when I get as low as 50, but my brother can feel them and suffer confusion from levels closer to 80. Also, if you do encounter a low, try the 15 15 method. Check the sugar, administer 15 carbs (a 100 calorie pack works amazingly but a half of cup of fruit juice will also do well if he won't eat. ) and then wait 15 minutes. After 15 minutes test again. If the sugar is not going up, give 15 more carbs, and wait 15 more minutes. Repeat until sugar is back to normal. You want to avoid over correcting a low, because a high later is not something you will want to deal with. Another tip for treating lows, is not to give anything with a high fat content. Higher fat foods take longer to digest, and longer to get into the blood stream to raise the glucose level. The parents should be able to tell you if he will need any insulin and when. Most type 1's give insulin with their meals, and possibly a background insulin like Lantus. Don't forget to just ask them if there's anything specific that you need to know about him. All Diabetics are different, and his low symptoms may be bizarre compared to your mothers, mine, or anyone else's. Awesome that you are going to baby sit for the parent of a diabetic. I know that sometimes people who are willing to watch a child with an illness is hard to find. Good for you.

Wow Jen, that 15 15 thing is really awesome. I didn't know about that. Thanks, that was really really useful information.

[jen1982]

Originally Posted by Gillian_Angela Wow Jen, that 15 15 thing is really awesome. I didn't know about that. Thanks, that was really really useful information.

You're very welcome. I love that you are babysitting for a family with a Diabetic child. That was something that was impossible for us to find when we were kids. Major kudos to you.

I learned the 15 15 method from my current Internal Medicine Specialist after a few bouts of lows where I would end up being super high hours later. After doing it this way for the past two years, it has stopped the rebound highs big time.

[LindsayLin]

I have no advice on the diabetes part but what about hummus as a snack? My two year old son loves hummus.