When a child suffers from diabetes, it is a sad and painful experience. It's difficult to imagine a child who can't fall down, get hurt, munch on chocolates, get into trouble, and be boisterous with no cares in the world. When a child has a cloud of diabetes over his head, childhood becomes a neverending challenge. How do you prevent diabetes from affecting your child? When is the best time to get you child tested for diabetes? We approached a diabetologist to answer these questions. 

Diabetologist, Dr. Shalini Jaggi, Senior Consultant with Action Diabetic Centre begins with pregnancy and diabetes. Can an expectant diabetic mother give birth to a diabetic child? “It is not necessary for a child of a diabetic mother to have diabetes. However, there is a tendency for the child to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life,” replies the doctor.

In this scenario, when should the baby get tested for diabetes? “Children who are born to diabetic mothers are tested for diabetes at birth,” says Dr. Shalini. “However, there is no set protocol for children to be tested for diabetes. One should watch out for any symptoms like getting tired easily, passing urine often, frequent urinary tract infections etc. and get the child checked for diabetes.”

If diabetes runs in the family a periodic tested is necessary. “There is no fixed guideline as to when a child needs to be tested for diabetes. A random checking once in a while is recommended.”

Coming to Type 2 diabetes, there are a few signs that you should get your child tested. Dr. Shalini spells them out, “A child who is overweight/obese, complains of frequent urinary infections, passes urine more often, should be tested for probable diabetes. These are some of the symptoms that parents need to keep a check on.”

Lifestyle diseases can affect anyone at any age. The only way to prevent them is with diet, exercise and discipline. Dr. Shalini shares some tips to prevent diabetes in your children, “Diabetes can be avoided if the child leads a healthy lifestyle, eats in moderation, exercises regularly/engages in outdoor sports and is not overweight or obese.”

Playstations and Xbox are replacing physical activity among children. These gaming consoles may be a safe bet if you are trying to protect your kid from injuries. But lack of physical activity could eventually stifle your child.

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