[Management of diabetes mellitus in young children].

The occurrence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children under 5-years-old is rare, but its incidence has been growing all over the world. The diagnosis is usually delayed and the patient presents advanced states of ketoacidosis. After the diagnosis, it is extremely crucial the involvement of the family in the treatment from the beginning, due to the dependency of the young children. The attention focused on the patient must be intense, since there are no evident hypoglycemic symptoms, the food intake and physical activities are irregular and there is higher insulin sensitivity. Insulin administration has to be individualized, and glucose monitoring is essential to obtain a good control.