Day-to-Day Care

For a baby or toddler, this is a time of incredible emotional, physical, and cognitive development - exciting years for any family. Of course, there's also the fussy eating, the stubborn "no's," and the sudden growth spurts - three things that can make blood sugar control a challenge.

Naturally, you'll work with your healthcare team to outline an eating, testing, and medication plan tailored to your child's age and developmental needs. But here are a few ways that might make it easier to put that plan into action.

Healthy Meals & Snacks

Today's fast-acting insulin makes it much easier to deal with kids' changing eating patterns. Your doctor will instruct you on how to tailor the insulin to cover what your child has actually eaten. In addition, because your child is so young, you have an opportunity to help them establish positive attitudes about food. This will pay off later, as your child moves into puberty and adulthood.

•  Once your child has outgrown baby food, it's not necessary to prepare separate meals for them. A healthy meal plan is right for the whole family, and won't make the child with diabetes feel singled out

•  Keeping mealtimes cheerful will help instill in your child the idea that food isn't the "enemy." It's to be enjoyed

•  Lots of kids are picky eaters. Rather than insisting that your child eat something, give them a choice. Cereal and milk or cheese and crackers each provide about the same nutritional value, but letting them pick gives your child a sense of control and independence

•  Don't make any foods "off limits" and the temptation of the forbidden won't exist

•  Sometimes your child just won't feel like eating. It's natural. Juice or milk may provide the necessary carbohydrate until they start eating again.

Blood Sugar Monitoring

Because small children can't sense a blood sugar low or communicate when one is coming on, doctors don't usually encourage the same "tight control" as they do for adults. Ranges are generally a bit looser until kids get old enough to monitor themselves. Still, you don't want their blood sugar to get too high, or they won't feel well and won't be able to concentrate. So frequent monitoring is important. Here's how to take out some of the sting.

•  Let the child participate by choosing a finger

•  Get everything ready before the test - don't drag it out. Make the process quick, calm, and no big deal. The less upset you get about it, the less upset your child will be, too

•  Bring testing supplies to your child, don't make them stop playing to come to you. It only prolongs the process

•  Never negotiate blood tests or injections. Tests are necessary for your child's health - not optional. And the first time you get talked out of one, you'll set a precedent your child will never forget.

•  A daily log of test results that includes foods eaten, illnesses or infections, and other notes, will make your job easier. Find time in your already busy schedule to complete this last step.

Insulin Injections

Children with type 1 diabetes need insulin injections every day - often several times a day. Creating a soothing atmosphere will help make it go more smoothly.

Most of the tips for blood sugar monitoring hold true for giving injections - the more matter-of-fact you can be, the easier it will be for everyone. A few other ideas...

•  Use an ice cube to chill the injection site beforehand.

•  Let your child participate by choosing where to inject, rubbing the spot afterward, or even helping get supplies ready.

•  Rotate sites regularly. Ideally, you don't want to inject into the same site more than once every 30 days. Your child may prefer certain sites, because they hurt less. But you have to explain that using a site too much will cause a fatty deposit to develop and a lump to form.