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Hypoglycaemic symptoms described by diabetic children and their parents
F Chiarelli1, A Verrotti, L di Ricco
1Clinica Pediatrica, Ospedale Policlinico, Chieti, Italy.
Insights
Children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and their parents reported similar symptoms of hypoglycemia. This concordance suggests improved understanding and management of hypoglycaemic events in pediatric diabetes care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Diabetes Mellitus Management
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Hypoglycaemic events are common in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
- Discrepancies in symptom reporting between children and parents can complicate management.
- Understanding these differences is crucial for effective diabetes care in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze and compare the hypoglycaemic symptoms described by children with diabetes and their parents.
- To assess the concordance in symptom perception between pediatric patients and their caregivers.
- To identify common and distinct hypoglycaemic manifestations in children.
Main Methods:
- A structured questionnaire with 27 items on hypoglycaemia symptoms was administered to 40 parent-child pairs.
- Participants included children with a mean age of 10.4 years and a mean disease duration of 6.2 years.
- Principal component analysis was used for statistical evaluation of reported symptoms.
Main Results:
- Both children and parents reported similar frequencies and intensities of neuroglycopenic and autonomic hypoglycaemic symptoms.
- Symptoms like uncoordination, confusion, odd behavior, dizziness, trembling, sweating, and hunger were commonly reported.
- The study highlighted a high frequency of behavioral changes associated with hypoglycaemia.
Conclusions:
- There is a significant concordance between the hypoglycaemic symptoms reported by children with diabetes and their parents.
- This agreement suggests that parents can accurately perceive and understand their child's hypoglycaemic symptoms.
- The findings support improved communication and shared understanding in managing hypoglycaemia in pediatric diabetes.
Abstract:
Hypoglycaemic events are frequent complications of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in children. The signs and symptoms referred to by young children can be difficult to understand and often seem to be different from those described by their parents. We analysed the hypoglycaemic symptoms described by a group of patients and their parents. We studied 40 pairs consisting of a parent and a diabetic child by using a structured questionnaire with 27 items concerning different symptoms of hypoglycaemia. The mean+/-SD age of the children was 10.4+/-2.4 years, with duration of disease 6.2+/-2.1 years and their HbA1c was 8.2 2.0%. For the statistical analysis we used the principal component analysis. All the children followed a multiple injection regimen. The frequency and intensity of the hypoglycaemic signs described by patients and parents were similar both for neuroglycopenic (uncoordination, confusion, odd behaviour, dizziness) and autonomic symptoms (trembling, sweating, pounding heart, hunger). Moreover, our questionnaire showed a high frequency of behavioural changes. In conclusion, from the analysis of the questionnaires collected, we found that both parents and children gave almost the same score to the symptoms observed. This means that there is a concordance between the symptoms reported by the children and those reported by their parents.