Lifestyle and home remedies

Following a diabetes treatment plan requires 24-hour care and significant lifestyle changes, which can be frustrating at times. No one can do it perfectly. But your efforts are worthwhile. Careful management of type 1 diabetes helps reduce your child's risk of serious complications.

As your child gets older:

• Encourage him or her to take an increasingly active role in diabetes management
• Stress the importance of lifelong diabetes care
• Teach your child how to test his or her blood sugar and inject insulin
• Help your child make wise food choices
• Encourage your child to remain physically active
• Foster a relationship between your child and his or her diabetes treatment team
• Make sure your child wears a medical identification tag

The habits you teach your child today will help him or her enjoy an active and healthy life with type 1 diabetes.

School and diabetes

You'll need to work with your child's school nurse and teachers to make sure they know the symptoms of high and low blood sugar levels. The school nurse might need to administer insulin or check your child's blood sugar levels. Federal law protects children with diabetes, and schools must make reasonable accommodations to ensure that all children get a proper education.