Childhood Diabetes - Do You Know the Signs?

Hello Family Flavours Family, and Happy New Year!

Start the New Year off on the right foot, and learn more about an increasingly global health phenomenon affecting children and young adults: childhood diabetes.

Did you know?

1. About 5,000 to 6,000 children in Jordan are affected by Type I Diabetes
2. As childhood obesity rates continue to increase, so do the rates of Type II Diabetes
3. Some of the common symptoms include: drinking excessive amounts of water and frequent urination, especially during the night.

Childhood Endocrinologist Dr. Sima Kalaldeh explains that children can develop Type I Diabetes as early as their first birthday and it can appear any time during childhood and adolescence, even up to 40 years of age. Type I Diabetes is permanent and incurable. 

 

Previously, adds Chief Scientific Officer Dr Nash’at Dahabreh, Type 2 Diabetes was found primarily in adults since it is linked with unhealthy lifestyle choices and being overweight. With Type II diabetes, the body either fails to use insulin, which facilitates and regulates the movement of sugar into cells, or the body loses its capacity to produce enough insulin. Today, more and more children around the world are being diagnosed with Type II diabetes. 

 

To learn more about childhood diabetes, including what to do if you think your child has diabetes and what happens post-diagnosis, you can check out the November issue of Family Flavours.

 

Or, head on over to Jordan's own Eradeh organization has a website (www.eradeh.org) and a Facebook page (Eradeh) that can be helpful for parents and children alike.