Type 1 diabetes in very young children: a model of parent and child influences on management and outcomes

The incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in very young children (YC‐T1D) is increasing globally. Managing YC‐T1D is challenging from both a medical and psychosocial perspective during this vulnerable developmental period when complete dependence upon parental caretaking is normative and child behavior is unpredictable. The consequences of suboptimal glycemic control during this age range are substantial since these children will have T1D for many years and they are prone to adverse neuropsychological sequelae. Poor adaptation to T1D during these early years may engender a persistent trajectory of negative outcomes that can be very resistant to change. The empirical research on the YC‐T1D population (age