MORE than 1,000 children are affected by type one diabetes in Bahrain, according to health officials.
The prevalence of type one insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus in Bahrain is reaching 20 out of 100,000 newborns, while type two diabetes affects 50 children in Bahrain, they said.
The numbers of type two diabetes are increasing because of sedentary lifestyles and high calorie diets, officials added.
The figures, coupled with a lack of knowledge in schools about the management of children with diabetes, have prompted the Health Ministry to hold workshops for nurses and health educators.
More than 350 health educators, nurses and doctors working in government and private schools across the country are being targeted to attend the workshops, entitled the Management of Children with Diabetes in School.
"Before we just had type one diabetes and now we have type two," Health Ministry School Health Services chief and Bahrain Diabetes Society vice-president Dr Mariam Harmas told the GDN.
"Schools are facing many children that have hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) and they can't deal with it.
"All school personnel including administration staff, drivers and others need to know what to do if a child becomes hypoglycaemic."
The third in the series of workshops was held for 60 school nurses, doctors and health educators at the Riviera Hotel.
The workshops have been conducted since the beginning of the month and two more will be held in December.
It consists of lectures and group work, conducted by the Health Ministry's School Health Services and Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) paediatric and diabetes teams, in collaboration with the Joslin Diabetes Centre, BDF Hospital, Bahrain Diabetes Association and the Education Ministry.
The initiative is sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme and coincides with World Diabetes Day, which falls annually on November 14.
SMC consultant paediatrician, endocrinologist, diabetologist and workshop trainer Dr Mansoor Rajab said diabetes was mainly managed outside the hospital in the home and at school and that's why it was important for nurses and health educators to be fully informed.
"Children with type one insulin deficiency need between two and four insulin injections a day and they need to check their blood glucose levels up to four times a day," he explained.
"Those with type two diabetes are insulin resistance and need oral tablets to stop them from becoming hypoglycaemic.
"These children need better care, they might have hypoglycaemia and lose consciousness, so we are teaching nurses how to identify serious problems and how to manage them, it might be they just need some candy or a glass of milk.
"Our kids deserve better care and we also want to increase public awareness about diabetes because 25 to 30 per cent of the adult population in Bahrain have diabetes and the numbers are increasing."
Joslin Diabetes Centre registered nurse, diabetes educator and workshop trainer Khadija Al Matrook said diabetic children could fully participate in physical education at school, but teachers needed to be aware of their health condition.
She said while children needed to make sure they had an insulin injection at breakfast and mid-morning snack to prevent them from becoming hypoglycaemic, teachers needed to be know what to do if there was a problem.
"We want to improve knowledge because the role of school nurses, friends and teachers is very important," she added.
Health Ministry School Health Services consultant, child, adolescent psychiatrist and workshop trainer Dr Eman Haji said it was also important that educators and nurses had some guidelines for monitoring behavioural problems in children with diabetes.
"I want to highlight the signs and symptoms of psychological distress in children with diabetes, because psychological disturbances can aggravate the disease and their compliance to treatment can be affected," she said.
She said symptoms could include depression, irritability, passivity, aggression, tantrums and pain.
"Sometimes children see their condition as a punishment from God and they develop anxiety or denial and they don't comply with the treatment," said Dr Haji.
"They may need cognitive behaviour therapy.
"We only see a few cases, but when it comes it is usually severe.
"We had a 11-year-old girl who took an overdose of insulin and lost consciousness, she recovered and is okay, but we want to avoid these situations."
becky@gdn.com.bh
