Diabetes, which generally attacks older people, is now commonly found in young children. The Indonesian Pediatricians Association (IDAI) said that by 2023, cases of child diabetes increase by 70 times since 2010. What is the cause?
There are different types of child diabetes, but the most common in children is type 1 diabetes. This type of diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.
Head of the IDAI Endocrinology Coordinating Work Unit Muhammad Faizi said that cases of diabetes in children may be higher than what has been recorded so far.
Currently, IDAI data, Wednesday (February 1) notes that there are around 1,645 children in Indonesia who have diabetes. This figure has increased 70 times since 2010.
The recorded data comes from 15 cities in Indonesia. Starting from Jakarta, Surabaya, Palembang, to Medan. Of these, most reports came from Jakarta and Surabaya.
In addition, diabetes was also found to affect girls more than boys.
“There are 59 percent more girls who are recorded as having diabetes,” he said.
Meanwhile, in terms of age, Faizi noted that pediatric diabetes patients are generally 10-14 years old. The amount is about 46 percent of the total reported figures.
While children aged 5-9 percent were found to contribute to 31.5 percent of all cases.
“There are also toddlers. Those aged 0-4 years have diabetes. From our records, there is around 19 percent,” he said.
Causes of child diabetes and Methods of Treatment
Faizi said the high rate of childhood diabetes was due to an uncontrolled lifestyle. For this reason, parents must pay more attention to the lifestyle and diet of their children.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for type 1 diabetes in children, but this condition can be managed.
Pediatric diabetes patients must undergo blood sugar management by changing their diet and lifestyle regularly.
For information, this disease develops when the pancreas that produces the hormone insulin doesn’t work properly, or when the body doesn’t use insulin properly.
Some of the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children usually also develop quickly, including the following:
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination, possibly wetting the bed in a toilet-trained child
- Extreme hunger
- Unintentional weight loss
- Fatigue
- Irritability or changes in behavior
- Fruity breath
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