Dear Sharon

Thank you for your question to the forum.

Your son has some of the symptoms of diabetes, such as frequent urination and tiredness however, there are others: loss of weight (which may be difficult to ascertain if he has a growth spurt) and extreme thirst.  There are other conditions that can cause these symptoms.

We would advise you to take your son to your General Practitioner (GP) and ask him to perform a random blood glucose level (BGL), which entails a fingerprick to obtain a drop of blood.  The drop of blood is placed on a special strip and inserted into a blood glucose meter, which will record the result. Normal BGL should be between 3.5 – 7.5 mmol/L depending on when he has eaten.  Your GP may also test for ketones in the urine.

If your doctor is concerned about a possible diagnosis of diabetes he/she will then refer you to a Paediatric Diabetes team.  If type 1 diabetes is suspected it is very important for your son to be seen immediately as children can become very sick very quickly.

See the link below for further information about the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes.

About Type 1 Diabetes – Signs & Symptoms

http://www.diabeteskidsandteens.com.au/about.asp#signsand