[Management of children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus: personal experience].

The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the USA has closely paralleled the increase in childhood obesity noted there, but now across the Western world and therefore in Belgium. (Pre)type 2 diabetes is preceded by insulin resistance which must be diagnosed and treated. In Belgium, type 1 diabetes is the predominant (97%) form of diabetes in young people (< 2,000 cases under the age of 18 years). Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease which is more aggressive in younger children. At onset, the key-symptoms are : polyuria, polydipsia, weight loss, asthenia. Diagnosis is confirmed with 2 strips measuring glycaemia and glycosuria. Treatment and diabetes education for self-management should be initiated immediately in paediatric clinics of diabetology with a specialised multidisciplinary team. Thanks to the Belgian Social medicine, medical consultations and material necessary for treatment are nearly without cost. The principal aims of therapeutic management of the child, adolescent and adult with type 1 diabetes are to allow good quality of life and to avoid long-term complications by maintaining blood glucose concentrations close to the normal range and an HbA1c level under 7%. The number of daily insulin injections, 2 or > or = 4, by itself does not necessarily give better results, but the 4-injection regimen allows greater freedom, taking into account that the proper insulin adjustment is difficult before adolescence. Successful glycaemic control in young patients depends mainly on the quality and intensity of diabetes education. Any dogmatism must be avoided. Dietary recommendations issued over the last few years are the same for diabetic and non-diabetic individuals in order to avoid degenerative diseases. In the twice-daily injection regimen, the allocation of carbohydrates throughout the day is essential. Due to their pharmakokinetic characteristics, rapid-acting and long-acting insulin analogues have specific indications in both the twice-daily injection regimen and the basal-bolus insulin therapy. They improve quality of life, without necessarily reducing HbA1c.