When you eat, some foods called carbohydrates break down into sugar. This sugar enters your bloodstream, causing your blood sugar levels to rise. When this happens, an organ called the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps move sugar from your blood into your cells, where it is used for energy. Sugar is the fuel your body needs to work properly. When someone has diabetes, they either don’t produce enough insulin or their body doesn’t produce it well. When this happens, their body can’t use the food they eat as energy.

We treat many types of diabetes, including:

• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• Drug or chemical-induced diabetes
• Monogenic diabetes
• Positive diabetes: stage 1 and stage 2
• Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. It is sometimes called a “self-allergy.” This means the body attacks the cells that make insulin.
• People with type 1 diabetes do not make enough insulin to move sugar from their blood into their cells for energy. As a result, the body starts to starve.
• If this continues too long, the body begins to burn fat for energy, creating substances called ketones. Too many ketones can make a person very sick and cause a serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

Type 2 Diabetes

• This is the most common form of diabetes.
• People with type 2 diabetes still make insulin, but the insulin doesn’t work as it should.
• This means insulin cannot move enough sugar into the cells.
• When the body’s insulin cannot keep up, blood sugar levels rise.

Drug or Chemical-Induced Diabetes

• Some medications, like steroids or anti-rejection drugs used in transplant patients, can interfere with the body’s insulin.
• If untreated, high blood sugar can cause weight loss, infections, weakness, dehydration, delay healing or impact treatment.
• This type of diabetes may go away once treatment ends.

Monogenic Diabetes

• This group includes several rare forms of diabetes.
• They usually start in the teen years or early adulthood.
• Monogenic diabetes limits the body’s ability to make insulin, but it is different from type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Positive Diabetes: Stage 1 and Stage 2

• Diabetes autoantibodies are markers seen in blood tests that show the likelihood of developing type 1 diabetes.
• If a parent or sibling has type 1 diabetes, a child may have a higher chance of developing it.

Cystic Fibrosis-Related Diabetes (CFRD)

• Cystic fibrosis (CF) causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive system and other parts of the body.
• Sometimes mucus blocks the pancreas, damaging the cells that make insulin (called beta cells).
• This damage reduces insulin production, making it harder to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

The REACH Clinic

The REACH Clinic provides extra support for patients and families who are facing emotional and mental challenges with diabetes care and management.

To get an appointment at the REACH Clinic, a patient must:

• Have a diabetes diagnosis from a health care provider
• Be between 5 and 16 years old
• Have mental health concerns
• Be willing to attend longer and more frequent appointments

If you think the REACH Clinic would benefit your child, talk with your diabetes care team. Your doctor might also recommend it. The clinic coordinators will then reach out to schedule your visit.

Diabetes Sick Day App

This app helps caregivers or people with diabetes manage blood sugar levels and ketones during sick days. Learn more about the Diabetes Sick Day App.

Diabetes Prevention Clinic

The Diabetes Prevention Clinic helps patients and families improve their overall health with the goal of preventing diabetes in children. The team supports healthier, happier lifestyles for kids and families.

Technology

Our team has expertise helping kids and families use technology to deliver diabetes medication. These include:

• Continuous Glucose Monitor is a small device that goes under the skin to check your sugar levels and sends the info to a phone or pump.
• Insulin Pump is a small device that gives insulin. It is given through soft tubing and stays in place for two to seven days. An insulin pump helps kids have fewer pokes and more precise doses of insulin.

Education

Learning about diabetes helps kids and families manage it, avoid serious health problems and miss less school.