Treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus by insulin pump in children under 7 years of age
Joseph, M.G.; Ginies, J.L.; Chomienne, F.; Limal, J.M.
Archives Francaises de Pediatrie 49(6): 505-510
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-9764 PMID: 1449351 Document Number: 401446
Conventional insulin therapy for diabetes mellitus is sometimes inadequate for controlling metabolic disturbances in young children; the risk of hypoglycemia is particularly high at this age. Ten newly-diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetic children aged 1 to 7 years were treated by continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion using a portable pump. The mean duration of treatment was 17 months (4 to 42 months). The mean individual capillary blood glucose calculated over periods of 6 months ranged from 84 +/- 23 to 206 +/- 97 mg/dl. The glycosylated hemoglobin values were 6.5 to 8.9% during the same period. There was no hypoglycemic coma; 7 children experienced a total of 16 episodes of ketonuria. The average daily dose of insulin used by these 10 patients was 0.72 +/- 0.24 units/kg. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion is a feasible therapy and it was well tolerated even in the youngest children. External insulin infusion devices appear to be an alternative to conventional insulin therapy and a way of overcoming the therapeutic difficulties encountered with these young patients.