Type 1 diabetes in young children is an uncommon but serious medical condition. But it’s possible to manage this condition and help a child live a long, healthy life.

Type 1 diabetes can develop in anyone at any age. It’s most often diagnosed between the ages of 4 and 7 years or around the time of puberty, but it may be diagnosed even earlier. Research suggests that in about 4% of children with type 1 diabetes, diagnosis occurs before 2 years of age.

When an infant receives a type 1 diabetes diagnosis, it’s important that treatment begins as soon as possible and that the child is cared for by a diabetes care team that includes an endocrinologist and a pediatrician. You can also consult a registered dietitian who is a certified diabetes educator to map out a safe and nutritious eating plan.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which your pancreas does not produce any insulin or produces so little that you need to take insulin for life.

Insulin is a hormone that helps cells throughout your body absorb glucose from your bloodstream to be used for energy. When insulin levels are too low, too much glucose circulates in your bloodstream, potentially damaging your organs and blood vessels and raising the risk of heart disease and other serious conditions.

Type 1 diabetes is also an autoimmune condition, which means it’s a condition in which your immune system attacks healthy cells by mistake. In type 1 diabetes specifically, your immune system attacks the beta cells in your pancreas that make insulin.

Because it may take months or years for symptoms to develop and excess glucose to appear in your blood, type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed later in childhood or adolescence — or even in adulthood in many cases.

This drawn-out process is also the reason type 1 diabetes in infants is so rare. It’s unusual for a baby’s pancreas to be unable to produce enough insulin within the first few months of life. The results of a 2020 study of 166 infants suggest that the rapid loss of insulin production in infants may be related to reduced insulin secretion before birth.

Sometimes type 1 diabetes is diagnosed in infants through a routine blood test before obvious symptoms emerge.

When symptoms are present in infants, they can include:

  • abdominal pain or cramps
  • fatigue or low energy
  • increased hunger
  • increased thirst
  • increased urination
  • nausea
  • severe diaper rash that does not improve with standard treatment
  • unexplained weight loss

Health experts believe that type 1 diabetes is often caused by a genetic change that triggers the autoimmune condition.

If you have an infant and diabetes runs in your family, you should talk with your child’s doctor about having them tested for diabetes. If test results and a lack of symptoms suggest that your child does not have type 1 diabetes, you should ask their doctor about how often testing should be done in the future.

Environmental factors, such as viruses, may also trigger type 1 diabetes in young children.

If your child has symptoms of type 1 diabetes or you have a family history of the condition, your child’s pediatrician may order a blood test to check their blood glucose levels.

The two main types of blood tests for diabetes are a fasting glucose test and an A1C test.

A fasting glucose test is done after a child has fasted for at least 8 hours. It detects blood glucose levels for that moment in time, so it is helpful but does not provide enough information on its own to diagnose diabetes. An A1C test determines the average blood glucose levels for the previous 3 months.

A combination of test results and a review of symptoms can help your child’s doctor make a diagnosis.

A doctor may also recommend genetic testing to help diagnose monogenic diabetes, a rare form of the disease.

Like anyone else with type 1 diabetes, infants with the condition need daily insulin injections. Doses of insulin can be given as shots just under the skin or through an insulin pump.

A strict eating plan is also essential. Managing carbohydrate intake is a key component, as consuming too many carbs can cause a spike in blood glucose levels.

Regular blood glucose monitoring is necessary. Your baby may also need frequent urine tests to check for ketones, which are byproducts that form when the body breaks down fat instead of glucose for energy.

The outlook for infants with type 1 diabetes depends largely on the care they receive and how well their parents or guardians oversee regular blood glucose monitoring, insulin use, and a healthy diet.

A 2021 study suggests that people who grow up with type 1 diabetes tend to live 10 to 12 years less than people without diabetes. However, several more recent studies, including a 2023 study of people with type 1 diabetes in Finland, suggest that survival rates are improving among people with this condition.

If your baby shows symptoms of type 1 diabetes, such as increased hunger and unexplained weight loss, have them tested for the disease as soon as possible. With proper, ongoing care, your child can live a healthy life with type 1 diabetes.

One key is to learn as much as you can about type 1 diabetes and help your child understand the condition as they grow up. Type 1 diabetes is a daily responsibility, but you can manage it through proper insulin use, glucose monitoring, and dietary planning.