Introduction  

This section is for parents of children with diabetes. It describes the sort of care your child needs to keep well and healthy. We use the term child/children to mean anyone who is seen in a paediatric setting, including teenagers.

The main aim of treatment for diabetes is to relieve the unpleasant symptoms of high and low blood glucose by maintaining ‘near normal’ blood glucose levels. Good diabetes control is not always easy to achieve. Most young people – and their parents – have difficulties with this at one time or another. But, with the support of your specialist children’s (paediatric) diabetes care team, your child will be able to lead an active, healthy life with normal growth and development.

Meet your diabetes care team

As you know, it’s hard to take in the news that your child has diabetes, let alone the mass of information about diabetes that you will be confronted with when he or she is diagnosed.

You will probably feel frightened and overwhelmed. The healthcare professionals you see will be aware of this. They should give you plenty of time to ask questions and repeat information if needed. The important thing for you is not to be afraid to ask questions. In fact, keep asking until it makes sense.

Children with diabetes have special needs to do with the fact that they are children. This is why it is essential that your child is looked after by a specialist children’s diabetes care team, and is seen at a special clinic just for children with diabetes. This way, you and your child can meet other parents and children who are in the same position as you – and meet all the members of the team at one visit.

You and your child are important members of the team too – after all, you will be ‘living with diabetes’ day to day. Your own and your child’s input and experience is just as important as your contact with the diabetes care team.

Your specialist children’s diabetes care team should include:

Consultant paediatrician with a special interest in diabetes – has an overall responsibility for your child’s diabetes care, hand in hand with the other members of the team. Their experience in childhood conditions and special knowledge of diabetes means that your child can have the best possible care and advice.

Paediatric diabetes specialist nurse – has special expertise in children and diabetes, and can give advice and support for managing diabetes in hospital, at home, at school, and in other settings.

Paediatric dietitian – food is an important part of a child’s life, even more so when the child has diabetes. The paediatric dietitian can give advice and support on the subject of your family’s food. This will help your child to have good diabetes control and healthy growth. I've always found the best way for me is to know what food does what to me and play it each day at a time. I tried the carb counting diet and it did not work - i was either going to hypo or go very high.

Children’s clinical psychologist – diabetes affects many aspects of life for the child and the family, and this can lead to emotional stress. If needed, you should be able to contact a children’s clinical psychologist with experience in diabetes. I wouldn't worry too much about this, it's just to make you aware there is help there if you need it.

Family GP – will still look after your child for non diabetes matters. There should be good communication on your child’s health between your GP and the diabetes care team.

Senior paediatric ward nurse with experience in diabetes – hopefully your child will not have much contact with the hospital ward after diagnosis, but the senior ward nurse can give advice if other members of the team are not available, or if your child does need to go into hospital again.