August 28, 2018
Other
Question from Brookfield, Connecticut, USA:
My eight-year-old daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes about a month ago. Very shortly after that, she started manifesting with sudden involuntary (I think) body movements where her head or entire upper body jerked a few times. She has developmental delays and is non-verbal so I cannot ask her more details about what she is experiencing. Can someone advise what this could be? I have an appointment with neurology pending.
Answer:
These are rather unusual symptoms, but not likely related to diabetes unless these occur only when she has some hypoglycemia. High sugars wouldn’t cause those symptoms and recent initiation of insulin is also not likely causative. I would agree with getting a neurology consultation for consideration of some kind of seizure disorder. Something called Tourette Syndrome is a possible explanation but it, too, is not related to diabetes unless something like hypoglycemic episodes are associated.
SB
