Nutritional therapy in children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus type 1

Th. Skurk, M. Wabitsch, H. Hauner, Düsseldorf / Ulm

Diabetes mellitus type 1 is the most frequent chronic metabolic disease in children and adolescents. Usually its clinical manifestation is an acute event with severe metabolic derangement due to advanced insulin deficiency. Following diagnosis, insulin substitution therapy must immediately be initiated. In the majority of cases, this therapy is accompanied by changes in diet. Today, the principles of a diabetes diet are largely the same as for healthy individuals.

Training courses for patients and their parents are to inform about the effect of food on blood sugar levels in accordance with insulin therapy to achieve an optimal therapeutic result. By modern therapeutic approaches it is possible to do without many of the restrictions diabetics had to observe so far and which presented problems of compliance mainly to children and adolescents.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus type 1 / children / adolescents / nutritional therapy

Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs-Umschau 11/02 ab Seite 440.