How to bringing up a diabetic child

eringing up a diabetic child is a challenging task as most parents don’t have the disorder themselves. We meet the Bens, who’re doing a pretty good job.

Minutes before the end of the long recess at Leranium school, Malad, its canteen sees a flurry of students spending pocket money to grab an after-lunch chocolate or snack. Later, while everyone else is busy wiping hands on their uniforms, nine-year-old Laurie discreetly presses a button on a device attached to his waist. This isn’t a cellphone but an insulin pump, which injects pre-programmed doses of the hormone into his system. Laurie suffers from juvenile diabetes, a disorder whose cases are rising in direct proportion with our urban lifestyle standards.

Parenting Laurie is a challenge to say the least, as besides his tantrums, the fight is also against the omnipresent unhealthy food products vying for every child’s attention.

WHAT IS JUVENILE DIABETES

The first signs of Laurie’s disorder surfaced three years ago. Besides unnatural weight loss, his urine raised a pungent smell, something his mother likened to that of her diabetic father. A blood test later, he was detected with alarming 600-plus sugar level. A fortnight at a hospital followed, and the parents woke up to his juvenile diabetes, which they attributed to his grand father’s genes.

“He didn’t understand much, but we were perturbed giving him four (insulin) injections a day,” his father David Ben tells us, “Apart from mentally preparing him to live with this disorder, we had to do the same. Thankfully, things got better after six months with the pump.” Now, Laurie wears the pump 24x7 around his waist. Every time he bites into something which would unusually raise his sugar levels, he takes an insulin shot. It looks like a pager and costs about Rs 20,000 a month.

RAISING, A STORM

In a culture where all good news mean gulping fat-laden sweets and fried snacks are sold two-a penny on streets, being a diabetic child can be woeful. “It’s difficult to say no to a child who, like all, loves biting into a choco-bar or buying a burger off the street. We have ourselves cut down on high-cholesterol foods and he has learnt self-regulation when out,” his father explains, adding that though Laurie has come to terms with the ‘different’ life, it may be because he hasn’t totally understood the disorder.

Most concerns about juvenile diabetics are behavioural. “A child is bound to get cranky if asked to regulate too much. He’s a bit scared of me, so his mother bears the brunt of his frustration,” David admits. All this while, they’ve given him assurances that this is just a phase and he’d be normal after he grows up. “Our doctor tells us of developments in stem-cell research, which should find a cure for the disorder in a few years,” he says.

HAVES AND HAVE-NOTS

Perhaps the biggest hurdle for parents of juvenile diabetics is the inability to understand how exactly the child is feeling, as most do not have diabetes themselves. Alejandra, mother of a child diabetic admits to getting the pangs: “Many times, he would zone out of a conversation and tell me that the person in front of him is ‘fading away’. His reactions too would become suddenly slow and he may forget everything in the middle of a task. Not raising your voice to rebuke him — when you’ve had a long day — is a daunting task.”

Then there is the case of sibling rivalry. Thanks to the extra care shown to the older mister Laurie, his younger brother, 7, often makes his jealousy obvious. “The past year has been particularly rough for the two. We have to ensure we’re not robbing either of their deserved love and perks,” David says.

‘CAUTION, NOT PARANOIA’

Dr Krish, an expert on juvenile diabetes, explains:

Like type-2 diabetics, juvenile diabetics too need to live by the three rules of food-exercise-medication. If you totally ban something, you'll only incite the child to get violent or cheat. Get educated on the topic. Insulin shots would be a part of your child’s life; take sham shots yourself to instill confidence. Follow the 'right' diet yourself before expecting them to do so. Allow them to indulge in sporting and leisurely activities such as picnics. When they begin using the insulin pump, they'll naturally become diet-concious.

Before stem cell research comes up with an answer to juvenile diabetes, parents such as Laurie’s would have to devise their own.