Type 1 diabetes in children

A study from the University of Pennsylvania has noted that Type 1 diabetes is on the rise among children. For children under the age of five, the increase in Type 1 cases has been as much as 70 percent over the last 35 years.

Apparently, Type 1 diabetes can be difficult to diagnose due to young children being unable to communicate to parents and doctors how they are feeling. However, some symptoms are apparent with this illness including thirst and frequent urination. If signs of these symptoms do occur, it is recommended to pediatricians that they should then test the children for diabetes.

Because children with Type 1 diabetes often suffer from labored breathing and a particular odor in their breath, frequently these children are diagnosed as having a breathing disorder rather than a form of diabetes. Yet diabetes is a significant medical condition that requires prompt diagnosis so that treatment can begin, and the damage that diabetes inflicts upon the bodies of young children can be limited as much as possible.

One reason why misdiagnosis takes place is because doctors simply do not listen to their patients and family members, and often do not take the time to routinely ask questions or conduct certain tests when patients describe certain symptoms. Medical malpractice attorneys will question doctors regarding procedures that were put in place and discover whether these physicians covered all of the bases.

Most doctors do keep up on current trend and review medical literature to familiarize themselves with significant medical advances. However, this usually does not fit the profile of doctors that find themselves as parties to a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Source: WREX, “Type 1 diabetes up 70 percent in kids,” by Serena Gordon, Feb. 8, 2013