Biographical Information
Hi there – Our names are Willem and Corinne and our 5-year-old little boy and our 7- year old little boy have Type 1 Diabetes. Our youngest was diagnosed at 18 months and our oldest was diagnosed this year. Our lives have changed overnight – as parents our emotions have played a major role in why we have done this website. We feel that the support between parents and children with diabetes is extremely important.

Besides this Website we have a support group for any parent who’s children have Diabetes and just wants to talk. (Please note we never give medical information as we have no medical backround.)

Diabakids assist in raising Diabetes Awareness in South Africa and hold a Walk for Diabetes every year should you wish to join in on the day or donate to help increase awareness please feel free to contact us at diabakids@hotmail.com.

Work Information

This is a Website designed for parents and children with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes to air their views ask questions on get connected to others in the same situation as them.

I decided after months of researching the Internet for information on Diabetes that we lack that in this country.

1) Connect parents with other parents for Support

2) Validate the support we give our children and help give support to others

3) Answer questions you want to know

4) Lets fight together to get a cure for Diabetes

5) Daibakids Registration Form please complete for on going contact

Age Development Issues

Infants (0 to 2 years old)

Toddlers (2 to 3 years of age)

Pre-school (4 to 5 years old)

School Age (6 to 10 years old)

Early Adolescence (11 to 14 years old)

Adolescence (15 to 18 years old)

Infants (0 to 2 years old)

Infancy is characterised by:

· Very rapid growth

· Continuing brain development

· Trusting relationships with the parents

· Erratic eating habits (food can become a power struggle)

· Erratic sleep patterns

For managing your infant's diabetes, your goals should be:

· Have a blood sugar target of what your Doctor recommends

· Adjust insulin program around eating patterns

· Use small lancets for finger stick blood tests

· Have materials ready before blood tests and injections to minimize stress

· Don't do blood tests or injections in the child's bed (keep the bed a "safe" place)

· Use play as a teaching tool

Toddlers (2 to 3 years of age)

As children grow from infancy to toddler hood, they:

· Can participate in some self-care

· Look for parental approval while they test their limits

· Show decreased appetite and picky eating habits (easily distracted from eating)

· Begin to show more regular sleep patterns

For your toddler, your goals for managing your child's diabetes should be:

· Have a blood sugar target of what your Doctor recommends

· Align foods in blocks of time

· Limit choices for food, injection sites, and blood test times to minimize stress

· Have child help with blood tests and injections, perhaps by placing the test strip in the blood glucose meter or the lancet in the lancing device

· Have materials ready before blood tests and injections to minimize stress

· Use stories, and books and games as a teaching tool

Pre-school (4 to 5 years old)

Pre-school children are characterised by:

· Peer issues begin to emerge

· Can understand rules

· Can do more self-care, including blood tests under parental supervision

· Eating behaviour is less erratic

· Very energetic, so hypoglycaemia can be a problem

· Regular sleep patterns

Goals for managing your pre-schooler's diabetes should be:

· Have a blood sugar target of what your Doctor recommends

· Allow child to do own blood sugar checks and push the plunger on the syringe

· Use reward systems to help with compliance, such as sticker charts

· Avoid labelling blood sugar test results as good or bad

· Help child identify feelings of low blood sugar

· Involve child in meal plan decisions

· Use stories, and books and games as a teaching tool

School Age (6 to 10 years old)

School aged children are characterised by:

· Fear of being different from other children

· Can perform most self-care, including blood tests and insulin injections

· Eager to learn

· Beginning to understand consequences of their actions

· Tests independent decision-making

· Most time spent away from home

Your goals for managing your school age child's diabetes should be:

· Have a blood sugar target of what your Doctor recommends

· Incorporate school lunches, parties, and special events into the meal plan

· Plan schedule around usual activities

· Make sure school understands and provides for child's needs (see American idea for Diabetes at School)

· Monitor school attendance and performance

Early Adolescence (11 to 14 years old)

Children in early adolescence are on the threshold of profound changes and are characterised by:

· Erratic growth which affects insulin requirements

· Glucose control may be erratic in spite of everyone's best efforts

· Concerned about body image

· Greatly influenced by friends

· May challenge authority

· Development of self-esteem

· Beginning to understand abstract concepts

Goals for helping your early adolescent with his diabetes management should be:

· Incorporate hectic lifestyle into the diabetes plan

· Begin to work on problem solving skills

· Discuss treatment options (Multiple Daily Injections [MDI], the pump and meal planning)

· Allow independent visits with the health care team

· Include sex education as part of diabetes education

· Monitor school attendance and performance

Adolescence (15 to 18 years old)

Children in adolescence are undergoing profound physical and emotional changes and are characterised by:

· Puberty is well underway

· Concerned with physical appearance

· Clearer sense of self (can set goals)

· Increased autonomy

· Risk-taking behaviours, including not taking insulin and not performing blood sugar tests

· Many social activities that are unpredictable

Your goals for helping your adolescent with his diabetes management should be:

· Incorporate hectic lifestyle into the diabetes plan

· Allow independence in problem-solving

· Discuss treatment options (Multiple Daily Injections [MDI], the pump and meal planning with carbohydrate counting)

· Be non-judgmental (e.g., there is no such thing as a "bad" blood sugar reading)

· Keep social issues separate from diabetes

· Help establish realistic goals

· Watch for risk-taking behaviours, such as not taking insulin

· Monitor school attendance and performance

Advice for Newbies

Sorry to hear that you have joined us!

Diabetes is a lot to live with, but really, it is manageable! In fact, if you take care of yourself, you will be healthier and happier than you ever were.

The first thing is to get a good doctor, if possible an endocrinologist, which is a doctor who specializes in diabetes. Have the doctor done all the tests that are needed. Have you had HBA1C test yet? What was the number? Knowledge of these things will give you power over your child’s diabetes and help to lift your spirits.

Have your doctor prescribe a blood glucose meter, test strips, and lancets. Have you met your Diabetic Educator – have they explained everything you can think of for now – keep you relationship going with your educator. Let your child become aware of what is happening to them explain it to their siblings. Get your Educator to educate your domestic worker, your child’s school – these are all people who are in contact with your child as much as you are empowering them.

Learning about diabetes on the Internet and through books will give you even more power over the disease. I picked my favourite diabetes Web sites See Favourite Links. The Web sites are for information; think of the mailing list and newsgroup as primarily being for support.

Current Projects

Search for more knowledge on this disease

Create more awareness of children with diabetes

Gain sponsorship to make Diabakids a full time organisation

Submit Question to our team

Dr Segal – Paediatric endocrinologist

Lauren - Dietician

Jinty – Diabetic Educator

Your story: Share your story with us about your child’s experience and their diagnoses or even your feelings. Insert your story diabakids@hotmail.com.