By: Mavis Offei Acheampong
Lack of Exercise, Unhealthy diets, modified and highly preservative foods for children are said to be some risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes in children.
Parents are therefore being reminded to be health conscious and concerned with what their children eat.
The Deputy Programs Manager of the Non Communicable Disease Control Program at the Ghana Health Service Dr. Afua Commeh said it is difficult to have a healthy children population, with diabetes in children on the increase.
She says a conscious effort from parents and caregivers can drop the diabetes figures in children.
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. It typically appears in adolescence.
Symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, hunger, fatigue and blurred vision.
There are two main types of diabetes; Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes occurs in persons under 18 years of age while Type 2, is in much older persons. Type 1 diabetes is genetic and often shows up early in life, while type 2 is mainly lifestyle-related and develops over time.
With type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This increases the child’s risk of developing conditions such as narrowed blood vessels, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke later in life.
In some cases type 2 diabetes can be prevented, unlike type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes was once called “adult onset” diabetes, because children hardly ever got it. But with rising rates of childhood obesity, a growing number of children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, some as young as 10 years.
More young people, says the Deputy Programs Manager of the Non-Communicable Disease Control Program at the Ghana Health Service Dr. Afua Commeh are developing type two diabetes as a result of behavioral and lifestyle factors.
A lot more children are also becoming obese as a result of the lack of physical activity. She said instead of seeing exercising as a task, parents should inculcate the habit of exercising into their children instead of seeing it as a task.
The difficulty in the breakdown of sugars results in some children relying on artificial or supplemental insulin to easily breakdown sugars their bodies need. This, is called insulin dependent diabetes and persons with this condition have to rely on insulin for life.
The head of the psychiatry unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ruth Owusu Antwi said relying on insulin for life may not only bring about physical or economic challenges but also the psychological trauma on the child is challenging.
She said many of these children because they have to be on regular medication get very depressed, distress and anxious for fear of their blood sugar falling very low or high.
By virtue of the diabetes itself that causes rapid changes in the sugar levels can mood changes because of the blood sugar level.
Some children may have to miss school to be able to meet doctor’s appointment. Dr Ruth Antwi said some of the children develop diabetes distress which is similar to the adult going through anxiety disorder or depression.
Medical personnel say, there are countless unreported child diabetes cases. About 800 diabetic cases were reported in 2021 from the Diabetic clinics across the country.
Unfortunately in Ghana, Children are not routinely checked in the health facility for diabetes as it is, for adults.
This means, the diabetes is not detected until complications set in. Dr. Afua Commeh said there are plans to work with the various Primary Health Care units of the GHS to check the blood sugars of children who are brought to the clinic at least once every year.
She encouraged parents and caregivers to be health conscious and avoid the intake of more sugars, highly preserved and modified foods in the diet of children.
Children with diabetes can lead normal lives if it is kept under control, although there is no cure for it.
Managing the disease focuses on blood sugar monitoring, insulin therapy, and maintaining a healthy diet.
In addition to a healthy diet, at least thirty minutes of exercise a day can help children manage the condition.
