June 20, 2000
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Portland, Oregon, USA:
My daughter is 20 months old. I have had 2 daycare providers tell me they think she may have diabetes. Her symptoms are she is constantly thirsty, she won’t eat much, she vomits sometimes out of the blue, and she gets shaky and real grumpy, like she’s sick (but, she’s not). Also, she does get sick with flu like symptoms a lot with fevers and all, and she fills up her diapers fast with urine. What do you think? Is this something I should not wait on getting checked?
Answer:
The typical symptoms for diabetes include frequent and excessive thirst, excessive urination, frequent hunger, and weight loss. If your daughter has symptoms that concern you, I would encourage you to discuss them promptly with your pediatrician. The symptoms of diabetes in children younger than 3 years old are not as typical as the symptoms I’ve mentioned above.
MSB
