My two and a half year old daughter, who loves water, drinks close to a gallon a day and has since she was small. The doctors checked her at age one, and she was okay, and they do not feel the need to check her again, because she has not lost/gained weight.

Now I am trying to potty train her, and when I am timing it, she is going about every seven minutes. Could this also be a sign of diabetes? My doctor keeps saying she is healthy and does not need checked again, she also has a circulation problem, where her feet and hands turn purple, they have tested her heart and lungs and say it is just the way she is. Any information if these could be related to diabetes would be greatly appreciated.

Some children have a tendency to go through a phase where they are urinating frequently. Many of these children do not have diabetes, and all testing is normal. I think that sometimes being a little irritated in the vaginal area may be a problem.

I’ve had success in my practice having these children discontinue using soaps, shampoos and bubble baths in their bath water. I usually suggest taking a shower instead, at least for a little while. You may also wish to have them bathe just in water with nothing in it, and when it’s time to soap up to drain the water from the tub, use soap only on dirty spots and rinse quickly.

Some children have negative testing for diabetes initially and subsequently test positive for diabetes. If the symptoms do not rapidly go away, it may be best to repeat the testing also.

MSB