WOULD you be able to spot any of the signs that a child you knew could have diabetes?

Dr Dominic Smith, child diabetes consultant at York Hospital, is urging parents to be aware of the symptoms of type one diabetes, which can occur in children of any age, even babies and toddlers.

Often the symptoms go unrecognised and the disease is only diagnosed when the child becomes critically ill with a potentially life threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis.

Dr Smith said: “Sadly, we are seeing children admitted to hospital in diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA. “DKA is a life-threatening condition but it is preventable. That’s why it is important that parents are alert to the symptoms.

“If your child has excessive thirst, is going to the toilet very frequently, or shows weight loss and unexplained exhaustion, they should be checked out as soon as possible. A very simple blood from a finger prick or urine test that takes a matter of seconds can instantly tell us if a child is likely to have type one diabetes.

“This can be carried out at the GP’s surgery or out-of-hours centre. It is very important that the test is not delayed until the following day if parents are suspicious that their child has these symptoms.

“If the test is positive, the child needs to be referred straight up to hospital. The sooner we know, the sooner we can start appropriate treatment.”

Anna Morton, director of NHS Diabetes, an organisation promoting the best care for diabetics in the UK, said all too often children were becoming seriously ill before they were diagnosed.

She said: “That’s why we are working with our paediatric diabetes network to ensure that healthcare professionals are alert to the symptoms of type one diabetes in children, and those children with the disease, no matter where they live in England, get access to the same high-quality care.”

York Hospital says it treats approximately 20 newly diagnosed children a year with type one diabetes. Their ages range from young babies to adolescents.

“Most secondary schools now have several children with diabetes.” For more information on diabetes in children, visit diabetes.nhs.uk or diabetespower.org.uk

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children

• Feeling very thirsty all the time
• Passing urine very frequently and wetting the bed or unusually wet nappies in toddlers
• Weight loss
• Excessive, unexplained tiredness
• Blurred vision
• Breathlessness .