Type 1 diabetes may be behind your child’s bedwetting

© huwowenthomas (Flickr) pops spoon
© huwowenthomas (Flickr)

If your child is bedwetting at night, it may be a good idea to get a test done for diabetes. Thousands of children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes every year, and bedwetting may be one of its first signs in a child. In absence of timely diagnosis and treatment, the child may develop diabetic ketoacidosis, with symptoms of nausea, stomach pain, and shortness of breath.

How to look for signs of diabetes in a child

If the child is bedwetting at night, you should observe his or her frequency of urination during the daytime. If the daytime frequency appears higher than normal, it may be another sign of a diabetic child. The quantity of urine may also be typically higher than a normal child’s. The child may feel an abnormally greater need to hydrate and may like to drink water and other fluids very frequently.

Unexplained weight loss, general weakness and fatigue may be other signs to look for in child who is suffering from type 1 diabetes.

Consequences of delayed diagnosis

A recent UK national prospective study revealed that one in every four children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes already suffers from pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis by the time the disease is identified. This condition complicates treatment and raises the risk to the child’s health. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Diabetes UK, two of the leading diabetes related non-profit organizations have launched a joint campaign to increase awareness among parents to look for signs of child diabetes, and to treat bedwetting as one of the key symptoms.