Understanding Type 1 Diabetes: Essential Insights for Parents
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Understanding Type 1 Diabetes: Essential Insights for Parents – Podcast Ep 160

For Diabetes Awareness Month, we chat with Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill all about Type 1 Diabetes and what parents really need to know.

Published November 12, 2024

by Nina Spears

The Baby Chick®: Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum Expert
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A young boy in a blue shirt and light-colored pants kneels on a wooden bench by a window with blinds. He is placing a stuffed bear in front of him. The boy has a medical sensor on his upper arm due to his type 1 diabetes. The background shows a blurred outdoor view.

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November is Diabetes Awareness Month. To get involved and help spread awareness, we wanted to learn more about Type 1 diabetes, its signs and symptoms, how common it is, and what we can do to help. I learned a lot during this episode, and one thing that stood out to me was that Type 1 diabetes is most often diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults, but it can develop at any age. I had no idea! Anastasia really broke everything down for us, including what parents really need to know about Type 1 diabetes and what to look for so we can look out for our kids and each other.

Who is Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill?

Anastasia Albanese-O'Neill's headshot: A woman with long brown hair stands outdoors, wearing a blue blouse, black blazer, and a stethoscope around her neck. She is smiling and posed in front of a blurred background of greenery and trees.

Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill, Ph.D., ARNP, CDCES transitioned to a career in diabetes care, education, and research in 2008, and since that time has committed her professional life to improving the lives of people with diabetes. She currently serves as director, community screening and clinical trials education at Breakthrough T1D and is the founder and board chair of a Florida-based diabetes education non-profit, Diabetes Toolkit. Anastasia formerly served as director of diabetes education and clinic operations in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Florida, where she maintained an active research portfolio and clinical practice. Prior to working in diabetes care, Anastasia was the highest-ranking executive for Southwest Airlines in southern California, where she oversaw the company’s local marketing, public affairs, and community and media relations. She plans to retire as soon as a cure for Type 1 diabetes is discovered, but not a moment earlier.

What Did We Discuss?

In this episode, we chat with Anastasia all about Type 1 diabetes and what parents need to know — from symptoms to diagnoses and beyond. Here are several of the questions that we covered in our conversation:

  • What exactly is Type 1 diabetes (T1D)? 
  • Please tell us how your child’s T1D diagnosis changed your career and life.
    • How has it influenced your approach to parenthood?
  • What are some common misconceptions about T1D that you wish more people understood?
  • What are the symptoms of T1D that people need to know?
    • How would I know if my child might have it? 
  • What are the benefits of early detection — especially for kids? How can people get screened? 
  • How important is the support of family and friends in managing T1D?
  • If a parent has T1D, what are the chances of their kids also having it?
    • Can it affect your pregnancy?
  • What treatment options are there for T1D?
  • What resources do you recommend for people wanting to learn more about Type 1 diabetes?
  • How can people get involved in finding a cure?
Two women (mother and daughter) are standing closely outdoors, smiling broadly. The woman on the left, Anastasia Albanese-O'Neill is wearing a white coat, while the young woman on the right (her daughter) is in navy blue attire, possibly medical scrubs. They appear to be in a courtyard with trees and buildings in the background.
Anastasia with her daughter, who inspired her career after she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a young toddler.

If you are a parent or a soon-to-be parent, I highly encourage you to listen to this episode. I learned that 80-90% of people who develop Type 1 diabetes have no family connection with the condition, so it can happen to anyone, even if it doesn’t run in your family.1 This is helpful information for us all to know and be aware of as we grow and raise our babies. Be sure to spread the message!

Anastasia’s Resources

Thank you for listening to this episode! Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave us a review, and follow us on our podcast Instagram page @thebabychickchat for more content. Cheers to making everyday life better for those with Type 1 diabetes and their families!

We hope you found this episode helpful. If you did and enjoyed it, please subscribe to our podcast, Chick Chat, and leave us an honest review. Links below!

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Nina Spears aka "The Baby Chick" wearing a blue and white striped off-shoulder blouse and white pants stands barefoot on a white background. She is smiling and holding a closed laptop in her right hand.
Nina Spears The Baby Chick®: Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum Expert
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Nina is The Baby Chick® & Editor-in-Chief of Baby Chick®. She received her baby planning certification in early 2011 and began attending births that same year. Since then, Nina has received her birth doula and postpartum doula certifications from DONA International, her childbirth educator certification from ICEA, her Hynobabies Hypno-Doula certification, and her infant massage instructor certification from Loving Touch, among other certifications. Nina has used her knowledge and expertise to teach and support families during their pregnancies, at their births, and throughout their postpartum journeys for over a decade.

Early in her career, Nina acquired her nickname from one of her birth doula clients, who lovingly referred to her as “The Baby Chick.” The “chick” who knows all about babies.…

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