Keeping Christmas Sweet for Kids with Diabetes

[Northerner]

Indulgences abound during the holidays—from family gatherings to parties with friends and even stockings stuffed with goodies from Santa. For children with diabetes, overindulging on the delicacies of the season could result in more than a stomach ache, it could mean a trip to the emergency room.

“It’s extremely important for parents to communicate with their child during the holidays to ensure the festivities are safe, but also fun,” said Himala Kashmiri, DO, pediatric endocrinologist at Loyola University Health System and assistant professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. “Diabetes doesn’t mean your child can’t enjoy the foods of the season. It just means you have to be prepared and communicate with your child about how to control blood sugar.”

He suggests parents check their child’s blood sugar more often during the holidays and, if the numbers seem high, to look for ketones in the urine.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/keeping-christmas-sweet-for-kids-with-diabetes

I posted this mainly because of the naivety of the following:

Checking four to six times per day during the holidays is a good idea, keeping in mind that the frequency might even be higher

I doubt if there are any knowledgeable parents who test their children less than 4 times a day - any day! - and certainly would not consider 4-6 times as an increase in testing! 😱 🙄

 

[Redkite]

It does seem a bit feeble doesn't it. BUT I know for a fact that many of the families at our old clinic (the rubbish one we moved from) still use two fixed dose injections a day and only do 3-4 fingerpricks. They are told to use urine ketone strips if ill (blood ketone meters are only recommended for pumpers allegedly). It is designed to be easy and low impact (and therefore very bad for long-term health imo!). Parents on forums tend to be better informed (because they've gone out looking for advice and educating themselves) - there are many parents of type 1 kids out there who have no idea that the advice from their clinic is sub-standard.