Diabetes in Nigerian Children

Diabetes isn’t just an adult disease; it affects children, too. Here is how to spot risk and understand the issue.

Diabetes in Nigerian Children

Photo by Artem Podrez

When people talk about diabetes, they often mean diabetes mellitus, which is a group of related disorders that are characterised by hyperglycaemia or excess sugar in the blood. But that is not the only type of diabetes we have. There is also diabetes insipidus, where the body produces excess urine, causing you to lose too much water. We’ll focus on diabetes mellitus in this article. 

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterised by high blood glucose levels or hyperglycaemia. It occurs either because the body cannot produce insulin (type 1 diabetes) or because the body cannot use insulin effectively (type 2 diabetes).

Diabetes is often seen as a disease of adults and the elderly. However, it is getting more common in children. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that there were more than one million children and adolescents under 20 with diabetes in 2019. 

Type 1 vs Type 2 diabetes

We mentioned earlier that type 1 diabetes mellitus is the most common type of diabetes in children, but children also have type 2 diabetes. The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is primarily in their origin.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin in the pancreasThe reason for these attacks on the cells is not clear, but experts suggest that genetic factors and viral infections may cause it. 

In type 2 diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or the organs are not sensitive enough to the present and circulating insulin, leading to excess sugar in the blood.

3 out of 100,000 children in Nigeria have type 1 diabetes

The International Diabetes Federation also estimates that about 3 (2.9) out of 100,000 children between the ages of 0 to 14 in Nigeria have type 1 diabetes mellitus. 

Children with diabetes have common risk factors, and these include: 

  • Family history of diabetes
  • Certain genetic mutations
  • Environmental factors like exposure to viruses 
  • Obesity
  • Diet
  • Level of physical activity
  • Steroid therapy

How do you know that your child has diabetes?

Diabetes in children has similar symptoms as diabetes in adults, but since children, especially infants and preschool children, can’t explain their symptoms, parents have to pay extra attention.

Symptoms to watch out for include:

  • Excessive thirst 
  • Frequent urination
  • Poor cry and weakness
  • Increased appetite
  • Excess weight gain
  • Poor wound healing
  • Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet

The symptoms are similar for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but type 2 symptoms develop later and slower. See a paediatrician immediately if you suspect your child has any of these symptoms.

Diagnosis of diabetes requires expert evaluation

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk

Although laboratory tests may show that a child has high glucose levels in their blood, that alone is not sufficient to say that the child is diabetic. Your doctor will take the child’s medical history, evaluate their signs and symptoms, and then order some laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis. 

These tests include:

  • Random or fasting blood glucose estimation
  • Random or fasting serum glucose estimation
  • Oral glucose tolerance test
  • HbA1C test

 

Parents, teachers, and communities should watch for signs of diabetes in children, encourage healthy eating and exercise, and ensure children get regular checkups to catch and manage the condition early.

 

References

Ugo,N C et al. (2018) Childhood Diabetes : a myth or a reality-perception of the public from a low income country: a cross sectional study. Available at:https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-0 18-5744-7.( Accessed 26th March,2023)

 

Idowu , O S et al. (2022) Children and adolescents with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Nigeria: Clinical characteristics and compliance with care. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36148598/ (Accessed 25th March,2023)

 

Isaac, O O et al. A ten year review of the pattern and outcome of childhood diabetes in two state teaching hospitals in south-west Nigeria. Available at:https://www.dovepress.com/a-ten-year-review-of-the-pattern-and-outco me-of-childhood-diabetes-in--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-DMSO.(Accessed 26th March,2023)

 

Idowu, O S et al. (2022)Children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes in Nigeria: Clinical characteristics and compliance with care. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36148598/(Accessed 26th March)

 

Daphne,E S. (2016) Type 1 diabetes risk factors. Available at :https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/type-1-diabetes/type-1-diabet es-risk-factors .( Accessed 26th March,2023)

 

Mayo Clinic.(2023) Type 2 diabetes in children. Available at:https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes-in-chil dren/symptoms-causes/syc-20355318 Accessed (March 27 2023)

 

Silpa, N. et al. (2017) Management of diabetes Mellitus in children and adolescents: engaging in physical activity. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5532192/ (Accessed 27th March, 2023)

 

Andrew, C. Cabria.( 2022) Diabetes Mellitus in children and adolescents. Available at https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/children-s-health-issues/hormonal-d isorders-in-children/diabetes-mellitus-dm-in-children-and-adolescents.( Accessed 26th March,2023)

 

Grifth,L M. (2021) 7 ways to prevent type 2 diabetes. Available at:https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/type-2-diabetes-prevention (Accessed 27th March,2023)

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