Watch out, your ‘bouncing’ child could be diabetic
Nov 25, 2007
BIGGIE’, as five-year-old Trevor was fondly called, shocked everyone when he died suddenly. Not just because he was a child, but because he was healthy and playful when he passed out.
By Irene Nabusoba
BIGGIE’, as five-year-old Trevor was fondly called, shocked everyone when he died suddenly. Not just because he was a child, but because he was healthy and playful when he passed out.
“My baby was out playing when his friends shouted, ‘Biggie has fallen’. On reaching there, he was unconscious. I rushed to a clinic. After a few tests, the doctor declared, ‘we need to rush him to Mulago Hospital. We have no insulin’,†Samalie Nakazibwe recounts.
“The doctor offered his car but ‘Biggie’ did not make it. He died on the way....†Nakazibwe sobs.
It is now three years since Biggie died and Nakazibwe has another baby. But she is plagued by the fear that the same could happen to this baby.
Did she understand the cause of “Biggie’s†death?
“The doctor said my baby died of diabetes. That it was the reason he was drinking and urinating frequently,†she says.
Diabetes, known as sukali in Luganda, is the name for disorders in which the body has trouble regulating blood sugar.
A website on health, www.diabetes.org, states diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin— a hormone needed to convert sugar into energy.
There are two types; 1,where the body mistakes beta cells found in the pancreas that make insulin, for invaders and attacks them leading to very high/low sugar levels which could be fatal if no insulin is administered.
And 2, where the beta cells produce insulin. However, either the cells do not respond to the insulin or the insulin is not enough to meet the body’s needs.
Some people with type 2 can keep it under control by losing weight, changing their diet and exercising. Others take medication, including insulin.
Dr. Ashraf Senoga from Kibuli Hospital says more than 90% of children have type 1. “This is because diabetes in children is often genetical,†he says. “The patients often show symptoms like sudden weight loss, extreme thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite, sugar in urine, fruity odour on breath, laboured breathing, drowsiness and unconsciousness.â€
Dr Ruth Katunze, a paediatrician and head of Mulago Hospital’s Mwana Mugimu Unit says, often diabetes in children is misdiagnosed and by the time it is discovered, the sugar levels are too high.
“We ask mothers to watch for symptoms of diabetes in their children, go for regular check-ups, twice a year and seek early treatment,†Katunze says.
Dr Jesca Nsungwa, the principal medical officer child health in the Ministry of Health, says: “There is a ‘honeymoon phase’ in children and adolescents, the leading cause of death. symptoms will show then subside and caretakers will assume the child has recovered, only to return with severe consequences. The child will become unconscious and if they come when there is no insulin, they will die.â€
She adds: “Majority of schools do not have insulin kits and do not screen for diabetes. Often, it is the parents of diabetic kids who equip them with the kits, but what of those that do not know that their children have diabetes? School authorities should ensure routine check-ups of diabetes at least twice a year. When diabetes strikes in school, it may be fatal.â€
Nsungwa says managing diabetes in children and adolescents is difficult because it is hard to restrict their diets.
Nsungwa warns mothers whose babies weigh 4.5kg and above to watch out for diabetes.
Last year, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed a resolution recognising diabetes as a debilitating disease. It designated November 14 as World Diabetes Day.
The World Health Organisation says diabetes is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases with type 1 diabetes growing by 3% per year in children and adolescents, and 5% per year among pre-school children.
“Yet diabetes in children is often diagnosed late or is misdiagnosed,†it states on its site www.who.int. The site further notes that in many parts worldwide, insulin, the main life-saving medication for children with diabetes, is not available.
“As a consequence, many children die of diabetes. Those closest to the child — family, school staff and family doctor —may not be aware of the signs. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the prevalence of diabetes in children and adolescents. Early diagnosis is crucial to saving lives,†it says.
Nsungwa says: “Diabetes campaigns are timely because non-communicable diseases like diabetes pose a big problem. We need to invest more in preventive measures because managing conditions like diabetes in children is very expensive.â€
“Insulin goes for $6 (sh10,000) per doze and this is a life-time drug. Most people get them from abroad. Ministry of Health is focusing on ensuring insulin is available in health facilities at a cheaper cost. We have talked to Kenya and South Africa.
Nsungwa says the main treatment for diabetes is to bring the sugar levels down to normal.
However, for preventive purposes, caretakers are advised to control their children’s diet.
“Foods with high sugar content are not good. Give foods rich in carbohydrates, roughage, proteins and lots of vegetables. Ensure that your child gets physical exercise to regulate weight,†she says.
BIGGIE’, as five-year-old Trevor was fondly called, shocked everyone when he died suddenly. Not just because he was a child, but because he was healthy and playful when he passed out.
“My baby was out playing when his friends shouted, ‘Biggie has fallen’. On reaching there, he was unconscious. I rushed to a clinic. After a few tests, the doctor declared, ‘we need to rush him to Mulago Hospital. We have no insulin’,†Samalie Nakazibwe recounts.
“The doctor offered his car but ‘Biggie’ did not make it. He died on the way....†Nakazibwe sobs.
It is now three years since Biggie died and Nakazibwe has another baby. But she is plagued by the fear that the same could happen to this baby.
Did she understand the cause of “Biggie’s†death?
“The doctor said my baby died of diabetes. That it was the reason he was drinking and urinating frequently,†she says.
Diabetes, known as sukali in Luganda, is the name for disorders in which the body has trouble regulating blood sugar.
A website on health, www.diabetes.org, states diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin— a hormone needed to convert sugar into energy.
There are two types; 1,where the body mistakes beta cells found in the pancreas that make insulin, for invaders and attacks them leading to very high/low sugar levels which could be fatal if no insulin is administered.
And 2, where the beta cells produce insulin. However, either the cells do not respond to the insulin or the insulin is not enough to meet the body’s needs.
Some people with type 2 can keep it under control by losing weight, changing their diet and exercising. Others take medication, including insulin.
Dr. Ashraf Senoga from Kibuli Hospital says more than 90% of children have type 1. “This is because diabetes in children is often genetical,†he says. “The patients often show symptoms like sudden weight loss, extreme thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite, sugar in urine, fruity odour on breath, laboured breathing, drowsiness and unconsciousness.â€
Dr Ruth Katunze, a paediatrician and head of Mulago Hospital’s Mwana Mugimu Unit says, often diabetes in children is misdiagnosed and by the time it is discovered, the sugar levels are too high.
“We ask mothers to watch for symptoms of diabetes in their children, go for regular check-ups, twice a year and seek early treatment,†Katunze says.
Dr Jesca Nsungwa, the principal medical officer child health in the Ministry of Health, says: “There is a ‘honeymoon phase’ in children and adolescents, the leading cause of death. symptoms will show then subside and caretakers will assume the child has recovered, only to return with severe consequences. The child will become unconscious and if they come when there is no insulin, they will die.â€
She adds: “Majority of schools do not have insulin kits and do not screen for diabetes. Often, it is the parents of diabetic kids who equip them with the kits, but what of those that do not know that their children have diabetes? School authorities should ensure routine check-ups of diabetes at least twice a year. When diabetes strikes in school, it may be fatal.â€
Nsungwa says managing diabetes in children and adolescents is difficult because it is hard to restrict their diets.
Nsungwa warns mothers whose babies weigh 4.5kg and above to watch out for diabetes.
Last year, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed a resolution recognising diabetes as a debilitating disease. It designated November 14 as World Diabetes Day.
The World Health Organisation says diabetes is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases with type 1 diabetes growing by 3% per year in children and adolescents, and 5% per year among pre-school children.
“Yet diabetes in children is often diagnosed late or is misdiagnosed,†it states on its site www.who.int. The site further notes that in many parts worldwide, insulin, the main life-saving medication for children with diabetes, is not available.
“As a consequence, many children die of diabetes. Those closest to the child — family, school staff and family doctor —may not be aware of the signs. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the prevalence of diabetes in children and adolescents. Early diagnosis is crucial to saving lives,†it says.
Nsungwa says: “Diabetes campaigns are timely because non-communicable diseases like diabetes pose a big problem. We need to invest more in preventive measures because managing conditions like diabetes in children is very expensive.â€
“Insulin goes for $6 (sh10,000) per doze and this is a life-time drug. Most people get them from abroad. Ministry of Health is focusing on ensuring insulin is available in health facilities at a cheaper cost. We have talked to Kenya and South Africa.
Nsungwa says the main treatment for diabetes is to bring the sugar levels down to normal.
However, for preventive purposes, caretakers are advised to control their children’s diet.
“Foods with high sugar content are not good. Give foods rich in carbohydrates, roughage, proteins and lots of vegetables. Ensure that your child gets physical exercise to regulate weight,†she says.