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Children with Diabetes Introduction | Monitoring

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Introduction to Type 1 diabetes

Every day, 35 children in America are diagnosed as having type 1 diabetes. This type of diabetes, which has also been called juvenile diabetes, occurs when the body stops producing insulin, a hormone which is essential for life. Therefore, people with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin every day for the rest of their lives. Taking insulin does not cure diabetes; it is a life-long chronic disease for which there is no cure. It requires constant attention. People with type 1 diabetes must test their blood sugar levels and take insulin shots several times a day.

Insulin helps the body use the food that is eaten and regulates the amount of glucose in the blood (sometimes called "blood sugar"). If blood glucose levels are too high, serious damage may be done to various organs in the body: nerve damage which can lead to amputations; small blood vessel damage which that can lead to blindness; and damage to the kidneys and heart. Such complications occur in some people with diabetes when blood sugar is not controlled well; anyone with diabetes can make a big difference in their chances of staying healthy by keeping blood sugar close to normal.