Diabetes - Striking Children
For children with diabetes, finger pokes and needles are a part of daily life. They are counting on research to improve their quality of life, and find a cure for diabetes.
At the same time, the incidence of type 2 diabetes, which used to be known as adult-onset diabetes, is striking children at alarming rates.
There are three main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes , usually diagnosed in children and adolescents, occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that ensures body energy needs are met. Approximately 10 per cent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
The remaining 90 per cent have type 2 diabetes , which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not effectively use the insulin that is produced. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood, although increasing numbers of children in high-risk populations are being diagnosed.
A third type of diabetes, gestational diabetes, is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. It affects approximately 3.5 per cent of all pregnancies and involves an increased risk of developing diabetes for both mother and child.
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