Young Children with Type 1 Diabetes: Recent Advances in Behavioral Research

Abstract

Purpose of Review This review provides a recent update of behavioral research pertinent to young children with T1D and addresses current priorities and future directions. Recent Findings Rates of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in young children (ages 1–7) are continuing to rise. Since 2014, changes to diabetes care and management have impacted young children and reinforced the need for increased attention and interventions to support diabetes management, especially in caregivers who are primarily responsible for their young child’s diabetes management. Summary T1D is associated with unique physiologic challenges in young children, with constant management demands elevating parental diabetes-related stress and fear of hypoglycemia. Diabetes technology use has significantly increased in young children, contributing to improvements in glycemic levels and parent and child psychosocial functioning. Yet despite the positive outcomes demonstrated in select clinical behavioral interventions, research with this young child age group remains limited in scope and quantity.

School Performance Among a Sample of Type1 Diabetic Children and Adolescents in Erbil City

“…Students with diabetes may find difficulty with glucose management in an unprepared school setting, increasing their risk of developing acute complications (7). Reduced attendance in school, diabetes-related cognitive deficiencies, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and the psychosocial effect of chronic illness are all potential variables that could lead to a kid with diabetes performing worse in school than their peers (8,9). However, the incidence of hyperglycaemia in childhood diabetes has been shown to have grown over the past decade (10).…”

Psychosocial, Medical, and Demographic Variables Associated with Parent Mealtime Behavior in Young Children Recently Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes

“…7 When children do not eat the type or amount of food expected, parents must manage these child behaviors and try to match their carbohydrate consumption with the insulin dose already administered to reach the target blood glucose level. 7 Parent adherence to mealtime schedules has been suggested to improve glycemic levels in newly diagnosed young children. 7 Psychosocial factors could contribute to how parents respond to developmentally expected child behaviors at mealtimes, especially while managing a new T1D diagnosis.…”

“…7 Parent adherence to mealtime schedules has been suggested to improve glycemic levels in newly diagnosed young children. 7 Psychosocial factors could contribute to how parents respond to developmentally expected child behaviors at mealtimes, especially while managing a new T1D diagnosis. Parents of young children with T1D report less confidence at mealtimes, perceive mealtimes as more difficult, give more direct and indirect commands to eat, and experience more stress during mealtimes than parents of children without T1D.…”

“…7 Parent adherence to mealtime schedules has been suggested to improve glycemic levels in newly diagnosed young children. 7…”

“…6 Ideally, parents administer insulin before children eat to maximize insulin action in the body 6 ; however, developmental factors of early childhood, including variable eating patterns and food preferences, make these calculations difficult to predict. 7 When children do not eat the type or amount of food expected, parents must manage these child behaviors and try to match their carbohydrate consumption with the insulin dose already administered to reach the target blood glucose level. 7 Parent adherence to mealtime schedules has been suggested to improve glycemic levels in newly diagnosed young children.…”