June 22, 2000
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from North Carolina, USA:
For the past week and a half, I have noticed that my 21 month old daughter has been drinking a lot of water and urinating much more frequently. Also, she has been cranky and seems to have less energy. I took her to her pediatrician today to have her checked out because I was concerned about the possibility of diabetes. We do have a history of diabetes in our family, but it is a bit distant (her grandfather and 2 great aunts). The results of her urine sample showed no ketones or glucose, but she did have some blood in her urine, so the pediatrician is sending it to a lab to test for infection. The pediatrician ruled out diabetes by this urine test. The test was performed around noon. My daughter had cheese toast and milk for breakfast at 8:30 A.M. and about 3 cups of water during the morning. Her doctor said she does not have diabetes and did not advise any other tests for diabetes. What do you think?
Answer:
I agree with your physician that at this time no further tests for diabetes are necessary. Should your daughter’s symptoms worsen or not go away, some further testing may be appropriate. I would also encourage you to discuss your concerns with your daughter’s physician.
MSB
