How is type 2 diabetes treated?
Type 2 diabetes treatment in children always involves a combination of medicines and healthy lifestyle choices. When used with medicines that help the body's insulin work better, lifestyle changes can help manage type 2 diabetes and prevent its complications. Lifestyle changes may even slow or stop the progression of the disease from prediabetes to diabetes.
If your child is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, your child needs to make positive lifestyle changes, including:
- Eating healthy foods
- Losing extra weight
- Increasing the daily level of physical activity
Children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may be referred to the Weight Management Specialty Clinic at Children's Hospital Colorado. This specialized clinic provides evaluation and treatment for conditions like type 2 diabetes that are associated with weight.
Even with healthy lifestyle choices, most children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes will also need to take a medicine called metformin. This medicine is generally given twice a day as the dosage is increased over several weeks. Some children will also need daily insulin injections to help control their blood sugar.
Currently, there are newer medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes in adults. We are one of the few centers with experience using these medicines in children. Another effective way to treat type 2 diabetes is weight loss surgery. Many children with type 2 diabetes qualify for this treatment.
Why choose Children's Colorado for your child's diabetes treatment?
For kids with type 2 diabetes, we have every specialist, program, clinic and referral they may need to manage their diabetes right here at our hospital. By taking a multidisciplinary approach to diabetes care, we're able to give kids the support, tools, care and resources they need to build a healthier future.
Our care team provides comprehensive care for every aspect of your child's condition because the team has pediatric experts from various specialties and disciplines. The team members treating your child may include an endocrinologist, psychologist, gastroenterologist, cardiologist, nutritionist, dietitian, exercise physiologist, recreational therapist, bariatric surgeon and other specialists your child needs.
Our multidisciplinary team of experts will walk you through the process – from testing and diagnosis to goal setting and treatment. We take an individualized, family-centered approach every step of the way.