“According to a survey among all paediatric endocrinologists in the country, the number of children currently with diabetes is around 1,500, with about 1,200 having type 1 diabetes mellitus (dm) and around 300 with type 2 dm,” said Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) senior consultant paediatrician, Dr Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin.
He added that treating type 2 diabetes in children was harder than treating adults due to a shortage of medication.
He said that type 2 diabetes is common in adults and even children, but if left untreated, there is a higher chance of them facing long-term diabetic complications when in their 20s and 30s.
According to Yazid, studies have shown that after being diagnosed with diabetes, teens and young adults suffer a 15-year drop in life expectancy.
As indicated by the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2017, he said seven in 10 adolescents skip breakfast regularly, noting that parents should ensure that their children eat breakfast to avoid obesity.
He advised parents not to give their children too much pocket money, saying they should regularly monitor their children’s weight and body mass index (BMI).
Meanwhile, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr Koh Kar Chai said one method of addressing this issue was to create an online education series on proper nutrition for children that parents could attend.
“It’s important to educate parents on proper nutrition for their children. Only then can they guide their children on their dietary intake,” he told FMT.
Koh said that because parents are unable to monitor their children’s food consumption at school, they must also educate their children on healthy nutrition.
He called for school administrations to ensure that food in canteens adhered to nutritional requirements and that no junk food was sold.
“Schools should also encourage students to take part in sports activities from young,” he said.
Type 1 vs Type 2 diabetes in children
According to the health ministry’s MyHEALTH Portal, adults often develop Type 2 diabetes, but with the global obesity epidemic, children are also developing this type of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks insulin-producing cells, resulting in either no or very little insulin production. To survive, people with type 1 diabetes must take insulin on a daily basis.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to produce or utilise insulin properly. Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by diet, exercise, and weight loss, but it may also require oral or injectable medication, as well as insulin injections.
Symptoms of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in children are:
- urinating frequently
- feeling very thirsty and drinking a lot
- feeling very hungry
- feeling fatigued
- having blurred vision
- having cuts or sores that don’t heal properly
- having dark spots on the skin.
People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes may also experience irritability, mood changes, and unintentional weight loss.