Toddlers diagnosed with diabetes are most likely to have Type 1 diabetes, a condition where the pancreas does not secrete insulin, notes Baby Center. Insulin is required by the cells to use glucose, or sugar, for energy. This type of diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease, meaning the body attacks its own cells. Toddlers who develop diabetes display several symptoms which alert parents and doctors to the problem. Diabetes symptoms in toddlers are the same as symptoms in older children, teenagers and adults.
Increased Urination
When the pancreas does not secrete insulin, the kidneys work overtime to eliminate glucose from the blood stream through the urine. In order to get rid of the excess sugar, water must be eliminated as well because the glucose is dissolved in water in the blood. Kidneys filter water and glucose from the blood stream, causing increased urination, or polyuria.
Increased Thirst
As a result of frequent urination, toddlers with diabetes often have increased thirst, or polydipsia, in order to prevent dehydration. Prior to the diagnosis of diabetes, parents may think the increased urination is a result of the child drinking more fluids, when in reality the opposite is true. If parents limit fluid intake in these children, dehydration will occur because despite the limitation of fluids, the kidneys will still work to rid the body of excess glucose.
Increased Hunger, Weight Loss and Fatigue
When cells cannot use glucose in the blood for energy, toddlers with diabetes will be more hungry than normal and eat more to try to compensate for the lack of fuel the cells are receiving. When insulin is not present, the cells cannot use the extra glucose being eaten, which then results in weight loss, notes DrGreen.com. Fatigue also occurs because cells in the body aren’t able to utilize the sugar for energy, which causes the child to feel tired, drained and fatigued all the time.
Persistent Diaper Rash and Yeast Infections
Yeast diaper rashes can occur in toddlers with diabetes due to the excess sugar that is secreted in the urine. Yeast thrives on sugar, creating the perfect environment for yeast growth inside the warm, moist environment of the diaper. Yeast diaper rashes are red, raised and painful. Vaginal yeast infections may also occur in little girls.
