April 3, 2001
School and Daycare
Question from Bardstown, Kentucky, USA:
My nine year old daughter was diagnosed with type�1 diabetes at age three and has had very tight control of her diabetes with several cases of hypoglycemia. She has been having difficulty in school, and her teacher believes she is developmentally delayed. Can this be linked with her diabetes? If so, where do I begin to find a cause/solution?
Answer:
Hypoglycemia, especially ongoing and severe episodes, sometimes can be associated with learning problems. The first questions is whether or not these learning problems are intermittent, and, if so, whether or not there is ongoing hypoglycemia in only a certain class (for example, only just prior to lunch or after vigorous gym activity). In any case, you should discuss this problem directly with your diabetes care team since they will be able to give you specific advice for your daughter rather than just general advice.
SB
