Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, has many symptoms that unfortunately mimic many common childhood milestones. Learn to tell the difference between diabetes symptoms and ordinary healthy childhood behaviors.

1. Increased thirst. As active as kids are, it’s not unreasonable for your child to demand more drinks from one day to the next. But if your child is thirsty all day and night and seems to crave ice cold water with the frequency of an addict, his kidneys may be trying to remove glucose from the body. Without insulin to move glucose through the bloodstream for processing, the sugar builds up, triggering a natural craving for more fluids. This is one of the most well-known and recognizable symptoms of type 1 diabetes.

2. Increased urination. The body tries to flush out the glucose buildup through urine. This need to flush the system can even lead to a sudden onset of bed-wetting at night. Unfortunately, because your son urinates so frequently, he becomes dehydrated because everything he drinks is lost almost immediately. It would be easy to assume that they are simply suffering from a urinary tract infection or have bladders the size of chickpeas and try to limit their fluid intake.

3. Breath that smells sweet and fruity. This symptom is also misleading as it could be explained by the fruity toothpastes kids use these days or the healthy fruit snacks they are fed. The sweet smell on your breath is the result of diabetic ketoacidosis, which is the body’s attempt to get rid of acetone through the respiratory system. Sweet-smelling breath is a sign that poisonous ketones (the acidic byproducts of fats that are broken down for energy) are building up in the body. This symptom is a sign that they urgently need diabetes medication.

4. Constant hunger. Children are always growing and always hungry. However, a child with undiagnosed type 1 diabetes will be hungry. The food they eat is not turned into energy, because the body needs insulin to do it. The sugars that the body breaks down food into begin to build up in the system, triggering the cycle of extreme thirst, urination, and hunger.

5. Sudden and considerable weight loss. Children seem to grow overnight, and a child who was chubby and stocky last month may appear taller and skinnier this month. The difference is that a natural growth spurt will look like weight loss, but it is actually growth and usually does not imply true weight loss. However, the weight loss of a child with undiagnosed diabetes will be extreme and sudden. It will occur when it appears that they are eating all the time and it will appear very different from their usual behavior.

Individually, each of the symptoms listed above could be seen as natural phases in your child’s development, however, when they occur at the same time, you should watch for a huge red flag and schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. Type 1 diabetes is a fully controllable disease, but early detection and treatment are essential to your child’s health and her ability to avoid long-term diabetic complications.