About 1,600 children and adolescents under the age of 15 with type 1 diabetes live in Austria. In Germany, a steady increase has been observed in this age group over the past 30 years. A German study now shows an additional increase in children and young people in our neighboring country between January 2020 and June 2021, i.e. from the start of the corona pandemic.
In any case, the Covid-19 vaccination can be ruled out as a cause, as the observed increase only affected children and adolescents for whom no vaccination was available at the time.
Gabriele Berger, specialist in pediatrics and head of the pediatric psychodiabetology advocacy group of the Austrian Diabetes Association, reported on the high percentage of children and adolescents in Austria since the pandemic, where diabetes is only recognized when it is already in a serious condition – a diabetic metabolic imbalance with ketoacidosis.
A relapse into a new disease can be life-threatening, cause long-term neurological consequences and has been linked to poorer long-term glycemic control, she warned. Even before the pandemic, the derailment rate of about 40 percent at first diagnosis in Austria was too high internationally; since the start of the pandemic, the percentage has increased further to 60 percent.
Recognize diabetes symptoms quickly
The first symptoms of diabetes often precede a derailment by days or weeks and must be recognized quickly. “Children who suddenly drink more and have more urgency to urinate, who can also lose weight, who are tired and exhausted, should definitely take diabetes into account. A pediatric clarification should be performed immediately, where the suspicion can be substantiated by a urine test or a small sample of blood from the fingertip, so that clarification and treatment can be started quickly,” Berger complained.
For the treatment and the success of the therapy, a highly specialized multidisciplinary treatment team is needed from medicine, nursing, psychology, diabetes counseling, dietetics and social work.
For example, there is support for families in the first month after the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in a child through mobile childcare, which is not uniformly regulated in Austria. According to the experts, there is an urgent need for professional psychosocial care outside hospitals. There is a lack of accessible and inclusive offers and their cost recovery for those affected, as well as a separate counseling center for young people with diabetes.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
