Current Indicators of Nutritional Care in Children with Type 1 Diabetes in India: Do we Need a National Nutritional Guideline?

BACKGROUND: Nutrition is an important pillar of management in children with type 1 diabetes. Indian food is heavily influenced by region, religion, traditions, seasons, and cultural choices. This survey was done to assess current practices and the need for India specific nutritional guidelines for children with type 1 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two 12-item questionnaires were administered to forty health-care professionals across India. The first questionnaire evaluated current clinical practice indicators for nutrition in these children and second assessed practices for counseling a child on dietary habits. RESULTS: There is great heterogeneity across the country with regard to dietary advice offered to children with type 1 diabetes. 97.5% of the respondents feel there is a need for an Indian dietary guideline for children with type 1 diabetes. CONCLUSION: There is need of India specific nutritional guidelines that should be made considering key variants such as age, region, cultural preference, economic burden and psychosocial beliefs, to offer guidance to diabetes care professionals.