Over 300,000 Canadians have type 1 diabetes, yet when your own child is diagnosed with this disease, it can come as a shock. “Most kids who get diabetes do not have another family member with it,” points out diabetes specialist Dr. Maureen Clement in Vernon, B.C. “Often, it’s just a bolt of lightning.”
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed during childhood, often between the ages of 10 to 13. There’s nothing parents can do to prevent this type of diabetes. However, if you notice signs your child might have the disease, you can take action to prevent a serious complication called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), in which the body runs out of insulin to process sugar and begins to break down fat instead.