Monica Adhikari
Consultant Dietician, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.

Normally the amount of glucose in our blood is carefully controlled by the hormone insulin, which helps the glucose to enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body.

Diabetes is a common condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body is unable to use to use it properly. This is because the body's method of converting glucose into energy is not working, as it should.

Children with diabetes
Most of the children will have type I diabetes meaning they can no longer produce insulin because the cells in the pancreas that produce it have been destroyed. Without insulin, the child's body cannot use glucose.
The onset of children's diabetes usually occurs in late childhood but can present itself from early infancy through to late adulthood.

What are the symptoms?
The symptoms develop in matter of days or weeks. They are as follows:

• Tiredness
• Thirst and frequent drinking (called polydipsia)
• Frequent urinating (called polyuria)
• Bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis)
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Infection on skin or around the mouth- particularly due to yeast (candida) or boils.

Diabetes cannot be cured but it can be treated effectively. The aim of the treatment is to keep the blood glucose level close to the normal range (4-7mmol,rising to no longer than 10mmol two hours after meal) so it is neither too high (hyperglycaemia) nor too low (hypoglycaemia)

Treating diabetes:
Most children with diabetes will be treated by combination of insulin and a balanced diet, with the recommendation of regular physical activity.
The diet for children with diabetes is based on balanced diet and variety in the diet.


Foods can be divided into five main food groups.

To eat the balanced diet the child should be aiming to eat food from all these groups in right proportion (as shown in the chart below)