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Type 1 Diabetes » Childhood
Diabetes |
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At
age 7, Guia should be bright and perky. Instead, she often feels faint.
She wets her bed in her sleep. And she is always thirsty. Recently
she began to lose weight and became really weak. She had to stay in
bed most of the time, with no strength even to stand.
As she seemed to be fading away, her parents took her to a doctor.
Diagnosis: diabetes.
She needs medication, blood test materials and regular meals, including
snacks.
Only a pedicab driver, her father tries to provide for what she needs.
The effort requires a lot of sacrifice. He is willing to work for
her but wonders how long he can keep it up.
Guia needs help right now. She needs help to keep her going into the
near future and for the rest of her life. She will be a diabetic as
long as she lives. |
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DIABETES
PROFILE
Four point one (4.1%) of Filipinos have diabetes mellitus.
At the current estimate of the population, this means 2.5 million
Filipinos with diabetes, with perhaps an equal number which remain
undiagnosed.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease of the insulin-producing cells in the
pancreas, and of insulin itself. This lead to elevations of the blood
sugar, and the appearance of sugar in the urine. When uncontrolled
over the long run, diabetes can produce devastating complications.
Diabetes mellitus can lead to blindness, kidney failure and gangrene
of the extremities. People with diabetes are more prone to develop
high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
It is said that one is not born with diabetes mellitus. However, one
is born with predisposition to develop it. A predisposed individual
is one who may have close relatives who are diabetics or who has a
cell type which renders him very susceptible to these triggering factors.
Many predisposed individuals may ward off the appearance of the disease.
What are the triggering factors of diabetes? Obesity is a major triggering
factor for diabetes mellitus. The increase in body weight reduces
the effectivity of insulin in various tissues. Multiple pregnancies
make the woman, so predisposed, to develop diabetes, especially after
the third pregnancy. Various physical and emotional stresses may trigger
the appearance of the disease in the predisposed individuals. Certain
hormones, drugs and other medications may act against insulin to render
it less effective, and thus also trigger the appearance of the disease.
Viruses may attack the beta cells of the pancreas causing destruction
of some of them, the destroyed cells then act to incite the formation
of anti-bodies which will now destroy the remaining beta cells, -
a process of self destruction which leads to the type of diabetes
which is insulin dependent. Thus, one who has diabetic relatives should
not overeat, and should always exercise to prevent undue weight gain.
Despite these ominous facts, many diabetic patients can live with
this dreaded disease and lead full and meaningful lives. But first
they must learn all about diabetes. They must receive the proper diabetes
education.
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DIABETES
CENTER: ANSWERING THE NEED FOR
DIABETES EDUCATION
The
main thrust of the Philippine Center for Diabetes Education Foundation
is to provide an intensive education program on diabetes.
Though
more than 2 million Filipinos are afflicted with diabetes, the vast
majority of the population - including many of the victims themselves
- know very little or nothing at all about the deadly disease.
Diabetes
is so complex and so demanding that proper education becomes an
important and integral part of diabetes treatment. All diabetes
patients must learn the proper diet, correct exercise, continuous
medications, proper care of the teeth and feet, correct usage of
blood tests, daily record keeping.
There
is quite clearly an urgent need for proper diabetes education.
The
Philippine Center for Diabetes Education Foundation aims to provide
an intensive education program on diabetes by establishing a Diabetes
Center in Metro Manila. The Center is envisioned to one, train trainors
who will man the satellite educational clinics of the Foundation;
two, create and develop educational materials on diabetes prevention
and management; and three, supply all its satellite clinics with
these educational materials.
The
creation of the Diabetes Center will be the answer to the ever growing
need for proper diabetes education.
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SPECIAL
PROJECTS : Type 1 DM in Childhood & Adolescence
The Philippine Center for Diabetes Education Foundation,
Inc. (The Diabetes Center), has always worked for excellence in fulfilling
its mission & vision for patients with diabetes.
Recently, the Diabetes Center realigned its program with the International
Diabetes Federation (IDF) Consultative Section on Childhood and Adolescent
Diabetes headed by Prof. Martin Silink and Lorna Mellor.
In line with the goal of the PDA and the Diabetes Center to increase
and improve research on diabetes mellitus, the Working Group for the
Study of Childhood Diabetes was created by the Diabetes Center.
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Members
of the Working Group:
1. Dr. Augusto D. Litonjua
2. Dr. Mary Anne Lim-Abrahan
3. Dr. Lina Lantion-Ang
4. Dr. Ma. Carmelita Domingo
5. Dr. Tommy Ty-Willing
6. Dr. Elizabeth Paz-Pacheco
7. Dr. Rosa Allyn G. Sy
8. Dr. Siok Suan Cua
9. Dr. Gigi Crisostomo
10. Mrs. Susan Bernal-Trinidad
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Supported
with a full grant from the Diabetes Center and a partial grant from
both the PDA and Novo-Nordisk Phils., the group embarked on its first
project study on the prevalance of Type 1 Diabetes in childhood and
adolescence aged 0-14 years in Metro Manila. The second phase of this
research is intended to cover all other regions in the Philippines.
The first project was the preparation of the educational material
for childhood diabetes which was launched in different schools nationwide.
The different key people involved in diabetes care discussed the possibility
of making the Philippines one of the pilot sites for the IDF Sponsor/
Adopt a Child Program. This particular project was envisioned to address
the plight of children and adolescents with diabetes in developing
countries. After presentation and deliberation, the IDF board of management
officially selected the Philippines as one of the three pilot sites
of the program.
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