June 3, 2000
Other Illnesses
Question from New Jersey, USA:
My twelve-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes several months ago. Since she was four or five, she has suffered from asthma, has been hospitalized with pneumonia, and has been inflicted with eczema, migraine headaches, urinary tract and yeast infections, chronic sinus infections as well as every other typical childhood “ailment”, all while under the medical supervision of her pediatrician and respective specialists.
While I understand that the diabetes is (ostensibly) unrelated to everything else, I can’t help but wonder if this is going to be a pattern for the rest of her life. In other words, is it possible that she was born with such a weak immune system that she is more susceptible than the average child? This question has haunted me especially because I have a healthy 14 year-old son who has had little else than asthma. Both were normal pregnancies.
Answer:
I suspect that your daughter has simply been unlucky. Obviously her pneumonia is related to her asthma and her urine infections, sinus infection and yeast infections could be related to her diabetes. However, in well controlled diabetes there is no reason to have more infections than anyone else.
KJR
