October 4, 2000
Behavior
Question from Hawaii, USA:
I work with a four year old child with both Pervasive Developmental Disability (mild) and type 1 diabetes. I am trying to assist the parent with a program for toilet training, and am wondering how to handle the problem of frequent urination, especially when away from home? Also, once he attends school, how is the need for frequent trips to the bathroom best handled? Any advice on this issue would be very much appreciated.
Answer:
I don’t want this answer to appear simplistic, but adequate control of the child’s diabetes (keeping most of the blood sugars below 180 mg/dl [10 mmol/L]) will avoid more frequent urination than normal. It is only when children with diabetes have high sugars that they pass more urine. Of course, this may be more easily said than done.
KJR
