Question from California, USA:

My son, age 7 1/2, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes about 6 months ago. A few months before then, my son had started to “adjust” himself. Through the summer, he did it more frequently. And then, he was diagnosed with diabetes. My father said at the time that perhaps he was spilling sugar and it was making him sticky and therefore uncomfortable. He no longer puts his hands in his pants, but now he will ‘hold’ himself as if he needs to go to the bathroom. His pediatrician says that his behavior is normal and to just ignore it and it will go away; it has almost been a year now and though it has gotten better, it is still present. His teacher agrees that it is not a sexual behavior, more that he is uncomfortable. (By the way, his HbA1c’s have been 6.0 and 6.2 — His blood glucose levels usually between 60 and 200, a few readings between 200 and 300.) Can I eliminate diabetes as the cause for this behavior?