My daughter is three years old and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last week. We have seen a dietitian and are currently seeing a pediatrician who seems to lack knowledge in this field. We are overseas with military and limited on resources. We are feeling uneasy about our training and expressed this. We were told to come back in 4-6 weeks. Do most have a specialist? If so what type?

Diabetes is usually managed by diabetes teams. This is the case in UK and in most parts of Europe. Children with diabetes are usually cared for by paediatricians with endocrine and diabetes specialisation.

I am not aware of precisely how diabetes is managed in Germany, but I do know that children are cared for by teams there also. Perhaps you might benefit from approaching the specialist again and expressing your concerns to him/her. You should ask him/her who else will be involved in helping you care for your child. Most paediatricians have access to specialist nurses, and dietitians.

I wish you all the very best. If there are specific problems you have, do get back in touch with us. Also, you may find this website a useful educational resource for you, as well as some of the useful links there.

JS