When a child is diagnosed with diabetes, blood glucose (sugar) levels can be quite high. Many new changes come with the diagnosis. Once your child’s blood sugar level is under control and you complete your early education about diabetes, the major challenge is to keep your child healthy, both now and into the future.
You will need to visit and speak with your child’s diabetes team regularly. It is important to be updated and to prepare your family for new periods in your child’s growth and development. These visits are meant to encourage and support you and your family in careful diabetes management. Most of the time, by working with their diabetes team, families are able to avoid, or at least deal with, problems before they get out of hand. Regular follow-up visits can also help to pave the way for teens to transfer from a pediatric diabetes team to an adult care diabetes team.
Many diabetes teams have regular teaching and support sessions to smooth the transition from one stage of development to the next. Ask you team what is available to you and your child.
Health care follow-up
Ongoing follow-up is essential. Diabetes Canada suggests at least three to four visits per year (every three or four months). More visits are suggested in the first year after diagnosis of diabetes and for those who need extra support to achieve and keep good blood sugar control.
Reasons for regular follow-up include the following:
Physical check-ups
- Keep healthy
- Keep diabetes under control
- Check your child’s growth and development
Lifestyle changes
- Make sure your child keeps a positive attitude and behaviours, including regular school attendance
- Keep in touch with your child’s lifestyle changes as they grow, such as growing independence, driving, sleeping in, changes in physical activity and routine, smoking, alcohol use, and sexual health
- Be aware of current and anticipated challenges in living and coping with diabetes management
Diabetes management
- Update and/or clarify goals and expectations
- Solve problems
- Get support and reassurance as needed
- Get ongoing education for parents, children, and teens to learn new skills, concepts, and management measures
- Review important principles and practices
Follow-up
- Ensure that diabetes-related complications are being monitored
- Find out what is new in research
- Have the opportunity to participate in relevant clinical studies (please discuss with your diabetes team regarding the updates in diabetes research)