Hi, just seen this thread.
Personally I would NOT a recommend a low carb diet for children and I would be very surprised to hear of a PDSN advocating this. Children are constantly expending energy for growing and playing, and their bodies do need nutrients from ALL food groups. At a time when their brain is developing rapidly, it is unwise to experiment with cutting out major food groups. The best diet for a child with or without type 1 diabetes is a healthy balanced diet including a wide variety of carbs, protein, fat and fruit&veg, with suitably sized portions appropriate to the child's age. The best drink is plain water.
Socially, it would be very hard for a child of school age to follow a low carb diet. Invitations for play dates will be few and far between if other parents think catering will be difficult (there will already be hesitation to invite a child with diabetes, don't make it harder by insisting on a restrictive diet). Kids' parties inevitably involve chips, biscuits, cakes - it's "normal" party food and perfectly fine if it's not an everyday menu. As they get older (teenage), the need to fit in with their peers is massive - you can teach them sensible eating and snacking habits, but if you put them in a straitjacket they'll just find their own way of eating the things they want. When my son was younger we had "sugary Saturday" when he was allowed to have Coco Pops and toast and honey...he still voluntarily sticks to this once a week "treat breakfast" even now he's 15. Sweets were more restricted by me than some parents would, but not totally forbidden, and even now if he goes to the cinema he'll take a treat sized packet of sweets while his mates buy those huge bags (meant for sharing but they have one each) and super sized fizzy drinks. So it's a good idea to deny them nothing, but teach them moderation.
Low carbing is of benefit to people with type 2 because it reduces the need for insulin (which they are not producing effectively or are not sufficiently sensitive to). It is NOT the same for people with type 1, who have the choice of matching their carb intake with insulin, ie it is perfectly possible to maintain good blood glucose levels eating whatever carbs you like as long as you match with insulin (the difficulty lies in getting the dose and timing/duration right, and this is easier with a pump than with injections). However, many type 1 adults do find that their levels stay more stable with lower carbs and thus lower insulin doses - but you must bear in mind that the typical adult has a much more stable and predictable routine than the typical child (who also has growth hormones interfering).
