Diabetes is often thought of as an adult disease, as it can be caused by diet and lifestyle choices (eating habits and alcohol consumption). However, a 3-year old in the U.S. was recently diagnosed as one of the youngest ever to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (adult onset), while children can be struck early with the inability to produce the hormone that helps process sugars (type 1 or juvenile diabetes).
A child with diabetes can be fatal if you’re not aware of the signs and they aren’t given the treatment they need. It’s important to know the signs so you can act quickly act, so here are 12 signals that your child may be battling the disease, which can be present in both types of diabetes…
1. Frequent Urination
It can be hard to tell if your toddler is urinating more than often, but if you notice your youngster wetting their shorts (or bed) more often or complaining about needing to use the bathroom more, it could be a cause for concern.
KidsHealth.org notes that more frequent urination is caused by the response of your child’s kidneys to higher levels of glucose (sugars) that aren’t being broken down to be used by their body. The kidneys are attempting to flush out the excess unprocessed sugars through the urine.
