My two year old cousin has diabetes. My concern is, my aunt (his mother) stays up all night, and sleeps all day, and because of this, her son has picked up this same bad habit. At 3 pm, he will still be in bed, or just getting up to eat his breakfast, and he does not get his first shot until then. The excuse is that he was up all night, and did not get to sleep until 5 am, and this isn’t just an occasional thing. it happens every day, and is “normal” for him and my aunt. I know this cannot be good for his health, or his condition. is there any information you can give me to relay it to my aunt the importance of regular eating and sleeping patterns?

This sounds like an unusual situation, and I wonder what the family dynamics are. On the face of it, it would appear that “a normal routine” was abandoned long ago in the family. Whatever the reason, the child is at risk in terms of the taking of insulin and the time of the insulin’s peak. I strongly recommend some sort of intervention. Are you in a position to do such an intervention? Does the child’s physician know of this extraordinary arrangement?

CMB

[Editor’s comment: I agree with Craig. There is probably only one approach. You can discuss this with your aunt and encourage her to make certain this routine is sanctioned by her son’s pediatrician. I don’t think you can contact that doctor without her permission. However, if you are truly concerned, you cancontact local child welfare authorities anonymously who will then investigate.

SS]