# Child with Type 1



## TonyP (Jun 1, 2020)

My granddaughter aged 8 was diagnosed about 18 months ago with type 1 and although readings are erratic, recently she has developed extreme mood swings. I have been told that puberty can be affected by diabetes and bought on early, is there any evidence that this could be having an effect on her hormones? Any help appreciated


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## grovesy (Jun 1, 2020)

It is not unheard of for youngsters to have puberty early, even without Diabetes.


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## Pumper_Sue (Jun 1, 2020)

Hi Tony if your granddaughters blood sugars are swinging then yes it will cause mood swings. The higher the numbers the worse the mood. At eight I would suspect a growth spurt to impact on blood sugars quite a bit so it's a case of treating by the meter so to speak.

Is there any chance she is eating extra food without saying anything so she can skip have the insulin to cover what she is eating? This happens a l lot with youngsters.


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## Lucy Honeychurch (Jun 1, 2020)

Her erratic blood glucose levels are likely impacting on her behaviour. There are several parents on here that might be able to help answer. I'll ask @everydayupsanddowns to move this to the parents topic for you.


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## Inka (Jun 1, 2020)

Hi @TonyP Sorry to hear about your granddaughter. As said above, her mood swings could be to do with her blood sugar and/or her growth.

It’s also possible there could be psychological or emotional causes eg a realisation that this isn’t going away in the near future, or feeling upset or angry at ‘being different’, or even fearful, especially in these current circumstances. Have you and her family any idea about what might be behind the mood swings?

I think @Thebearcametoo has a child of a similar age.


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## Thebearcametoo (Jun 1, 2020)

Hi, my daughter is now 10 and I can tell you mood swings are greatly exacerbated by blood sugar levels being both high and low. Once periods start there is a often a need for more insulin in the week coming up to a period but it does vary so it will be a case of her parents and team spotting a pattern of higher readings that then go back to normal. Even before periods start there may well be variation through the month. In general though management of diabetes is the same, aim to be in target as much as possible for as long as possible.
We find we have to increase her basal at least once between 3 monthly clinic appointments as she grows and often also increase ratios alongside it. Her team are helpful in spotting patterns we sometimes miss. Or just fine tuning what we’ve already identified. If your grand daughter’s control is all over the place it’s worth having a chat with her team to see if there are adjustments that need to be made. A Libre (monitors glucose levels instead or in addition to finger pricks) and/or a pump may give better control than just finger pricks and multiple daily injections but close management is possible without extra kit for some kids.
Have a chat with her team. If she is going into puberty they will help manage the insulin changes needed. They can also help her psychologically if she needs to chat things over. Managing a chronic condition can be difficult for anybody but especially for kids. And with lockdown and changes to routines and avenues for releasing energy it makes it even harder to cope.


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