My daughter is 21 months old and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a little more than a month ago. Is she at a higher risk for developing complications from diabetes due to the fact that she is going to have it longer than most juvenile diabetics? Also, my wife and I have become frustrated over the inconsistency of our daughter’s blood sugars. When can we expect to see things become controlled? We have been in constant contact with our diabetes team to adjust her insulin amounts but in the last 2 weeks she has had numerous readings below 100 and above 300, and we have followed her dietary needs exactly as we are supposed to. Is this normal?

Hopefully you are working with a team who has experience in the care of young children with diabetes. Young children’s blood sugars often fluctuate. Just do the best you can, and let your diabetes team guide you. We try to minimize hypoglycemia in young children, which means that sometimes putting up with highs.

Have you met other families that have young children with diabetes, or whose children were young at diagnosis? I would recommend this. Perhaps there is a support group or education program in your area that is geared to young children with diabetes. Some of the larger children’s diabetes centers run such programs.

Concerning long-term problems, there is no clear answer to your question. Many diabetes specialists believe that the high blood sugars before puberty may be less of a long-term problem, however it is very difficult to assess this theory.

LM