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 Juvenile Diabetes or type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder
in which the pancreas does not produce insulin, which controls the level of blood sugar in the body.
Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes attacks children quickly and, makes them dependent on injected or pumped insulin for life.
Children with juvenile diabetes must take multiple insulin shots daily or continually pump insulin, and monitor their blood sugar levels with a portable blood glucose meter.
Juvenile diabetes patients must always be prepared for hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) reactions which can be serious life-limiting and life threatening.
Insulin allows a person to stay alive, but does not cure diabetes nor does
it prevent kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, amputations, heart attack or stroke.
 There have been tremendous advances in the treatment of juvenile diabetes and monitoring blood glucose levels has made diabetes easier to deal with.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include: extreme thirst, frequent urination, drowsiness, increased appetite, sudden weight loss for no reason, sudden vision changes, sugar in urine, fruity odor on breath, heavy breathing,
and/or unconsciousness.
More than 1.3 million Americans have juvenile diabetes and over 13,000 children are diagnosed with type 1 (juvenile) diabetes in the U.S. each year.
Parents of children with juvenile diabetes need to establish a diabetes management program.
Diabetes management includes developing healthy eating habits, schedule a daily routine
for meals and snacks, exercise, and testing blood glucose levels four times a day.
DiabetesandMore.com offers advice, resources and information to parents of juvenile diabetes,
as well as to teachers and others who interact with children or teenagers who have diabetes.
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