Jakarta (ANTARA) – Professor at the University of Indonesia in the Faculty of Medicine in the Field of Pediatrics, Prof. Dr. dr. Aman Bhakti Pulungan, Sp.A, FAAP, FRCPI explained several characteristics that could indicate a child has diabetes.
“Many parents are still not aware that diabetes can also affect children, they think this is only a hereditary disease, even though diabetes can affect anyone,” said Aman, at a press conference “Prevent Premature Diabetes in Children and Adolescents” in Menteng, Central Jakarta , Tuesday (28/3).
There are several characteristics that can indicate a child has diabetes. Aman, who is also a Pediatrician, said that when a child eats and drinks a lot, it can be an indicator.
Children with diabetes will feel hungry and thirsty constantly even though they have just finished eating and drinking. This feeling of hunger is driven by an inadequate amount of insulin so that sugar cannot be processed into energy.
The feeling of thirst that is experienced is not just a sensation, but is caused by the body’s inability to produce the hormone insulin so that the body is dehydrated.
“The signs of diabetes are eating a lot, drinking a lot, urinating a lot, losing weight, and being weak or lethargic,” he said.
Constant thirst causes children to always drink, but it is not balanced by the body’s ability to absorb fluids properly.
It’s safe to say that children with diabetes will urinate more often than normal, especially at night.
“If previously the child was not ‘wetting the bed’ and then ‘wetting the bed’ again, the first thing we can think of is diabetes, any age of the child can ‘wet the bed’ because of this,” he added.
Meanwhile, drastic weight loss in 2-6 weeks can also be an indication of a child with diabetes.
Despite frequent eating, the child’s body does not gain weight, but tends to lose weight in significant amounts.
This is caused by the body’s inability to absorb blood sugar in the body, causing muscle and fat tissue to shrink.
“In addition, a number of locations on the body of children with diabetes will experience acanthosis nigricans, or look black, such as on the neck, armpits, to the fingers,” said Aman.
It is known that the prevalence of type-1 diabetes mellitus in children has increased 70-fold from 2010 to 2023.
In 2010 the prevalence of diabetes mellitus cases in children in Indonesia was only 0.028 per 100 thousand people. Then, in 2023 the prevalence of diabetes mellitus cases will be 2 per 100 thousand people.
