HMC Physician: Family Education Key to Caring for Diabetic Children

Doha, September 28 (QNA) - Attending a birthday party, or a sleepover, requires a bit more planning when you are the parent of a child with diabetes. Advance preparations, having a Plan B and extra communication with the parents of her son's friends are all part of daily life for Noor, whose ten year old Jassim has Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the body's ability to make insulin. Once called juvenile diabetes, it usually presents in childhood. Management of Type 1 diabetes requires daily insulin injections or the use of an insulin pump, a portable device attached to the body. Jassim was diagnosed in 2013, two days after his eight birthday. "Looking back the symptoms appeared quickly and were pronounced. We attributed his increased thirst and more frequent urination to the heat. It was the middle of summer," recalls Noor. "Jassim complained about feeling tired but we didnt worry until a neighbor commented on his weight loss." A visit to their local doctor was quickly followed by a referral to the Pediatric Emergency Department. Jassim was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and the weeks and months that followed included regular appointments with the Pediatric Diabetes Clinic at Hamad General Hospital. "We had regular meetings with Diabetes and Endocrinology Consultants and with Dietitians and Diabetes Educators. They slowly guided us through his long-term care plan, giving us the information we needed to make decisions about Jassims lifestyle," says Noor. Dr. Fawziya Ali Al-Khalaf, Senior Consultant and Head of the Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Section at Hamad General Hospital, says a diabetes diagnosis can be overwhelming at any age. She says that caring for a child with diabetes is challenging for both healthcare professionals and the child's family. "It can be an overwhelming experience for many parents and caregivers and because the need for treatment is almost always immediate, it is crucial to ensure time is taken to address the emotional side of the diagnosis. The parent or caregiver must move directly into managing the childs care. They need to learn about insulin injections and ways to manage their child's blood sugar level. We work as a team, doctors, nurses, dietitians, social workers. We help parents understand that children with diabetes lead very active lives, doing everything other children do. More care is required in planning daily activities and food options, but diabetic children can lead very active lives," says Dr. Al-Khalaf. Hamad offers a comprehensive diabetes education program that helps parents learn how to use insulin, how to measure blood glucose levels and how to plan meals and snacks. Education covers how to avoid low and high blood sugar levels and long-term diabetes complications. Dr. Al-Khalaf says knowledge is the foundation of managing diabetes. "The first step in managing diabetes is education; if the child is young the parent, or caregiver, is taught to manage sugar levels. As the child matures, he or she can learn to self-manage their condition, with the caregiver supervising. We focus on building a relationship with their primary caregivers, and also individuals like grandparents, teachers and other school staff who the child spends time with. It is important to ensure the support network is receptive to receiving the information they will need to care for the child," says Dr. Al-Khalaf. The Pediatric Diabetes Clinic at Hamad General Hospital, which is led by Dr. Al-Khalaf, cares for more than 1,200 diabetic children, making it one of the largest centers in the region dedicated to the treatment and study of diabetes in children.(QNA)