Diabetes that's diagnosed in childhood is classified as type 1 diabetes. Previously referred to as juvenile diabetes, it is a condition where insulin production is stopped by the pancreas. Without insulin, the body is unable to utilize blood sugar necessary to support life. Insulin injections, food monitoring and checking blood sugar levels become a way of life, sometimes beginning in infancy. Maintaining normal blood glucose levels can help reduce risk and complications to major organs.
Retinopathy
The American Diabetic Association notes that retinopathy refers to all problems of the retina due to diabetes. Retinopathy is caused by damaged blood vessels in the eye. New vessels grow in the gel, or vitreous, of the eye to compensate, but tend to be weak. They close off, leaving scar tissue that can lead to blindness. In some cases, the scarring can detach the retina. Rare in children under 10, retinopathy is seen more often in adolescents.
Nephropathy
The kidney has millions of delicate blood vessels that act as filters for the body's waste. MayoClinic.com describes nephropathy as the destruction of this filtration system by diabetes, causing damage to the kidneys that can lead to irreversible kidney failure. This may require dialysis or kidney transplants in the pediatric patient. If damage is not as severe, it may lead to further complications in adulthood.
Neuropathy
According to MayoClinic.com, excess blood sugar can cause damage to the capillaries, or small blood vessels, of the child's hands and feet. This damage produces a tingling or numbing sensation that is gradual in nature, but over time can lead to complete loss of feeling in the extremities. Ulcers become a risk as feeling is diminished; in severe cases, this can lead to amputation.
Hypoglycemia
The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that young children and boys of all ages are more prone to hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia in pediatric patients can be caused by low food intake, too tight a control on blood sugar levels or excess exercise. Respiratory illnesses like a cold, or nausea, vomiting and diarrhea as in the flu, put the diabetic child at further risk. Symptoms may include shaking, sweating, hunger, confusion, irritability and weakness.
