Diabetes 2: School Nurse

Diabetes ranks among the most common chronic diseases of childhood with high risk of morbidity and premature mortality. But routine use of insulin typically prevents hyper- and hypoglycemic crises, and death in childhood from diabetic ketoacidosis is rare. So, kids with diabetes typically glice through childhood with few impairments. They and their families can be unaware or forget that diabetic vascular pathology progresses silently through childhood. Tragically it roars in the middle an late years with high risk of kidney failure, blindness, impaired wound healing with consequent amputations, painful neuropathy, and premature death from heart disease and stroke. Currently, kids with diabetes are dying on average 10-years earlier than normal kids. Fortunately the morbidity and mortality of diabetes is largely preventable by kddping blood glucose and lipid concentrations under control throughout childhood and middle age. Physicians are permitted to inform the school nurse on the status of kids' blood chemistry. The nurse can then advise the students and their parents on how to maintain or improve their blood chemistry, and, in this way, reduce risk of harm in later life. The nurse can also notify child protective services when necessary changes are neglected. Kids in homeschool deserve this protection. Let's mandate school nurse oversight for kids in homeschool.