My daughter who is 9 years old has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes about 60 days ago. She is on insulin twice a day, but does she not have to stick to a diet? If a child is diabetic, would she have to watch her diet and other things? Please help if you think we need a second opinion.

Understanding what is in the food that you eat, and adjusting the diabetes plan for food is very important. I would encourage you to meet with a dietitian who is part of a team that cares for children with diabetes. You can read more at this website and from some books such as Understanding Insulin-Dependent Diabetes by H.�Peter�Chase,�M.D. and from Sweet Kids: How to Balance Diabetes Control & Good Nutrition with Family Peace by Betty Brackenridge & Richard Rubin.

During the first months of diabetes, when a child is still making her own insulin, the food may not make as noticeable a change in the blood sugars, but later on it will become more critical to factor in the food, especially carbohydrates in food.

LM