MANAGING YOUR CHILD’S DIABETES DURING THE HOLIDAYS 

Rise and Shine shared that while the holidays are a great time for indulging in your favorite sweets and treats, they can be stressful if you have a child with diabetes. You’re tasked with paying close attention to your child’s eating choices while making sure he or she doesn’t feel left out of the festivities.

With careful planning, your child can participate and enjoy the holidays with friends and family.

Monitor blood sugar levels frequently

High carb holiday foods, including cakes, bread, and pasta can cause blood sugar levels to spike. Therefore, it’s a good idea to check your child’s level more frequently during the holidays and dose insulin accordingly; keeping in mind that activity may also affect blood sugars.

Different insulin regimens require different strategies

If your child is on an insulin regimen requiring two or three shots per day (known as conventional insulin therapy), try to time the holiday meal around dinner so that the short or rapid-acting insulin can be easily adjusted. Otherwise, if the meal is in the afternoon, consider adding an extra dose of rapid or short-acting insulin to cover the meal. Please discuss details with your child’s diabetes team, which will happily assist in managing insulin doses during holiday festivities. 

If your child is on basal/bolus therapy with multiple daily injections or insulin pump therapy, it is easier to be more flexible in the timing of meals. Provide insulin for carbs as well as to lower blood sugars.

Keeping portions sensible is key

Eating or snacking all day long is not a good idea for children with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, as it is difficult to match insulin requirements. Avoid “stacking” resulting in lower blood sugars due to overlapping insulin doses.

It’s important for children to enjoy their favorite foods and drinks in moderation just as it should be for family members without diabetes.

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