Ketoacidosis is a life-threatening derailment of the metabolism that can also occur in children if they are not diagnosed early with type 1 diabetes mellitus or if it is not properly treated. If the blood sugar level is not adjusted correctly, symptoms such as weakness, nausea, abdominal pain, confusion and even coma can develop. In those affected, the liver forms so-called ketone bodies due to sugar deficiency, which then lower the pH value of the blood to the acidic range. In children, there is also always the risk of developing ketoacidosis if type 1 diabetes is diagnosed. Parents must therefore keep an eye on their children’s condition and blood sugar levels. A study with more than 1000 children as test persons between the ages of six and 18 revealed that the complications are frequent and must be taken very seriously because avoiding negative effects on memory and IQ (intelligence quotient) is the top priority. Scientists at the University of California in Davis, led by study author Professor Simona Ghetti, found that neurocognitive performance in children with type 1 diabetes is negatively affected by the frequency and severity of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), differentiated between children with a new diagnosis and children with a diagnosis that is more recent. A recurrence of DKA in children with earlier diagnosis leads to even greater and more far-reaching problems affecting long-term memory and IQ. Cognitive deficits once developed as a result of multiple DKA diagnoses lead to a deterioration in cognitive performance over the course of the lives of children and later adolescents. If blood glucose levels are regularly monitored and well adjusted, DKA can be prevented, according to researchers who have done sufficient research on the possible complications.
