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Children with diabetes mellitus and family functioning: translating research into practice
1Joslin Diabetes Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Barbara.Anderson@joslin.harvard.edu
Insights
This study identifies the unique challenges children and parents face living with diabetes mellitus (DM) across four developmental stages, from infancy to adolescence. It offers insights for pediatric diabetes care teams to support psychosocial development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Developmental Psychology
- Chronic Disease Management
Background:
- Diabetes Mellitus (DM) presents unique lifelong challenges for affected children and their families.
- Caring for a child with DM requires adapting management strategies to their evolving developmental and psychosocial needs.
- Understanding these stage-specific challenges is crucial for effective pediatric diabetes care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and describe the specific challenges of living with DM for children and parents.
- To examine these challenges across four distinct developmental stages: infancy, toddler/preschool, school-age, and adolescence.
- To provide a research summary with clinical implications for pediatric diabetes care teams.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on psychosocial development milestones.
- Analysis of recent research on DM management in pediatric populations.
- Categorization of challenges based on developmental stages (infancy, toddler/preschool, school-age, adolescence).
Main Results:
- Identified distinct psychosocial and management challenges for DM in infancy (0-2 years).
- Detailed age-specific issues for toddlers/preschoolers (2-5 years) and school-aged children (6-11 years).
- Highlighted unique struggles during early to mid-adolescence (12-16 years) related to DM self-management and development.
Conclusions:
- Effective pediatric diabetes care necessitates tailored approaches that consider developmental stage.
- Addressing psychosocial needs alongside medical management is vital for children with DM.
- Integrating developmental psychology insights can enhance clinical strategies for pediatric diabetes care teams.
Abstract:
The specific challenges of living with diabetes mellitus (DM) which the child and parent must confront at each developmental stage are identified from infancy through adolescence. This discussion is divided into four developmental stages: 1) DM in infancy (0-2 years of age); 2) DM in toddlers and preschoolers (2-5 years); 3) DM in the school-age child (6-11 years); and 4) DM during early- to mid-adolescence (12-16 years). The central milestones of normal psychosocial development are reviewed and a summary is provided of recent research at each developmental stage with an emphasis on clinical implications for pediatric diabetes care teams.