Giving Insulin to Your Child

by

Tauqeer Hassan

Parenting a child, especially those with diabetes really is a demanding job. If the child is under Type I diabetes, the anxiety of the parents further increase while giving insulin injection to their child. Whenever you come to know about the fact that your child is having diabetes, your first reaction perhaps would be of anguish, helplessness regarding the future dealings. But here you need to keep yourself firm and stable to support your child to fight against his or her diabetes.

Two or three insulin injections of short-acting and intermediate-acting are needed for most of the Type I children. Your doctor will suggest you the right dose of insulin for your child and as the child progress through the four stages of the Type I diabetes, the adjustments will be made accordingly by your doctor. The best three insulin dosages for child, that is, the morning mixed dose of short-acting and intermediate-acting insulin half hour before breakfast; a second dose of insulin mixed or short-acting insulin half hour before supper; and the third dose of intermediate-acting insulin at bedtime would produce good results.

Different age group of children may have different prescribed dosage of insulin. So, exceptions are always there, for instance, very young children who go to bed at seven or eight in the evening may require a single mixed dose injection of insulin in the morning.

Blood glucose level normally determines the dose of insulin and the adjustment in dose is made according to the level of blood glucose. Doctor may suggest you to observe the blood glucose of your child for two or three days. Minor fluctuations in blood glucose are normal and it can be due to change eating habits or lack of some physical activity. However, if you observe any permanent or major change in blood glucose, contact your doctor immediately. This is not something to worry about; doctor may suggest some adjustments in dosage plan according to the blood glucose level. But here an important thing is to teach your children about these factors that really disturb the blood glucose level. Although, they are in age where learning these things are difficult, but your continuous struggle will let them realize the important aspects regarding diabetes.

It is important to follow the plan given by your doctor regarding your meals and snacks along with insulin dosage. You need to develop good habits in your child for future. Breakfast should be taken on time, similarly lunch should be taken on set time in school, and supper should be taken at the same time as a general family sitting. These should be the practices which you need to develop in your child. If such practices have not been the part of your routines, probably it is the right time to practice them to set a good solid example before your diabetic child. Family meals will definitely be a great source to teach your child the importance of having meal on time.

You might also want to learn about

Confar Your Child Insulin

and

Make a Child with Diabetes in School

.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com