June 30, 1999
Aches and Pains, Complications
Question from Alta Loma, California, USA:
My son is 4 1/2 years old and type 1. He was diagnosed 7 months ago. Sometimes he says his leg hurts. I heard an advertisement on the radio asking for volunteers with diabetes and leg pains to call a phone number to take part in a clinical study. Can his diabetes be causing him pain at this age and stage, and should we be concerned and contact his doctor?
Answer:
I would suppose that the announcement that you heard on the radio would have been an attempt to recruit long established diabetic subjects for a research project concerning peripheral vasculitis or neuropathy. It is extremely unlikely that your young son has any such complication of his diabetes at this stage and providing that his leg pain is occasional, mild and there are no abnormal physical findings I do not think it merits a special visit to the doctor. You should mention it though at the next routine visit.
DOB
