Best Insulin Pump For Child

Everything You Need To Know About Insulin Pumps

Everyone needs insulin to live. Insulin is a hormone that helps our bodies use and store the food we eat. People with Type 1 Diabetes no longer make insulin and have to give insulin in order to sustain life. People with Type 2 Diabetes don’t use their own insulin well, and over time can have trouble making enough. So, all people with Type 1 diabetes and some people with Type 2 diabetes need insulin. When people give insulin injections, they may take 1-2 injections of a long acting insulin every day and 3+ injections of rapid acting insulin for meals and snacks. The typical person with Type 1 Diabetes could take anywhere from 4-7+ injections a day. Many people currently give insulin through an insulin pen or a syringe. But, there is another option, an insulin pump. An insulin pump delivers rapid acting insulin in two ways. First, the pump is programmed to give you insulin every hour throughout the hour referred to basal insulin. Basal, think “base,” is the insulin your body needs even in the absence of food, it is also referred to as background insulin. This basal rate replaces the long acting injection that you take. Second, is bolus, this is the insulin you take for food or to correct a high blood sugar. If you get basal and bolus confused, think “bowl”, as in you eat out of a bowl, to help you remember bolus is for food. Once you are on a pump, all insulin is delivered through the pump and shots are no longer necessary. Components There are a few things necessary to make a pump work. When a pump is shipped to someone: they will also need to send infusion sets, reservoirs, and possibly batteries, depending on your pump. Let’s talk about each component. Infusion Sets An infusion set is the part that is actually inserted into the body and has tubing that conn Continue reading >>

The Use Of Insulin Pumps In Youth With Type 1 Diabetes

Go to: Introduction Insulin pump (continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion [CSII]) therapy became more widely accepted for youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the mid-1990s after the availability of the rapid-acting insulin, insulin lispro. Previously, pediatric diabetologists were cautious about pump use in children, particularly as a result of the threefold increase in severe hypoglycemia reported among intensively treated patients in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial.1 Of these, two-thirds used an insulin pump at some time, and all used regular insulin. With advances in insulin development and in pump features, however, the fear of severe hypoglycemia associated with intensive diabetes management has diminished. It is impossible in this short article to describe all aspects of insulin pump care in youth (here defined as children 5–18 years of age) with diabetes. A more complete description, including our program for starting an insulin pump, is provided elsewhere.2 A consensus statement on insulin pump therapy in the pediatric age group may be helpful to healthcare providers.3 Table 1 lists some advantages and disadvantages of insulin pump use in children. Although insulin pump use is becoming more and more popular among families having a youth with T1D, it is not for everyone. In order for pump therapy to succeed, the youth as well as the parents must want the pump. Diabetes nurse-educators listed 12 other important factors to determine who should start pump therapy.4 They all agreed that doing adequate numbers of blood glucose (BG) tests per day was the most important criterion. Most pediatric centers require this for pump initiation, as this is not only a measure of compliance, but also a necessity for safety. Other criteria for initiation of insulin Continue reading >>

Insulin Pump Choices... Are You Ready For Tubeless?

Johanna and Nick, both age thirteen, were making a new pump choice last year. They were both interested in Insulet's OmniPod pump system, and since OmniPod pods were recently reduced to a smaller size looking like a tiny flattened computer mouse, it was even more appealing to them. Their other pumps had served them well. However a situation last year prompted Johanna to want a less conspicuous pump. While working as a counselor with young children she was repeatedly asked about the tube running to her pouch containing the pump, "What is that thing?" and "What does that tube do?" Johanna is not shy about her diabetes but she realized she didn't want it to be the first impression about her. The timing was right for a change. For the most part the newly designed pods have been fantastic. Notwithstanding some failed pods here and there, the transition to the OmniPod has been in the kids' words, "life changing": No more pouch worn around the waist, fear of the tube being caught on anything. Now they change their infusion sets on their own. It's been about six months since they've gone tubeless. Some of the changes were big such as they wear their pods during sport and swimming instead of having to remove their pumps and miss important basal insulin during the removal. Other changes are smaller. One has to suspend the Omnipod's PDM to make any changes and resume afterwards. Here are some takeaways from our experience. The PDM which looks like a chunky smart phone is the center of the system. This is where the pump settings are programmed and blood sugar tested. It's the only way to program an insulin bonus. The Pods need to be changed every three days. If not changed within the allotted time, and after much warning the pod will shut down so you are forced to change it. The PD Continue reading >>

Toddlers And Babies On Insulin Pumps

° Seeing is believing the best way to introduce small children to the pump is to do a pump trial. This is usually done with saline and most pump companies are happy to assist you. I have found that wearing the pump myself (yes even doing the infusion set) gave me a good sense of what my daughter would be experiencing. I started to wear the pump a week before Nikki Tyler, at the age of 3 was scheduled to try it she was very curious at what I was wearing and wanted a pump like mommy. This made putting the pump on her a lot easier because she wanted one like mommy. ° Treat the pumping experience in the most positive of ways: ° I had a goody basket made up with all kinds of fun little items (cost was like 2.00 apiece) I wrapped each one up and had a basket filled. This was the site changing basket Nikki Tyler got to pick out a goody every time we changed her site. This made the actually changing of her site something that she would look forward to instead of dreading. When she actually started to tell me it was time to change her site (she wanted the goody) I knew that we were doing fine. ° One mom I knew even through a “Pumping party" for her daughter. A couple of days after going on the pump the mom invited over family and friends to help celebrate her daughters new adventure. Family and friends all gave her little gifts and items to help her wear her pump. This was a great way for family and friends to also learn more about the pumping experience and share in the adventure. ° The most important part of pumping is to have a sense of humor(you never know when the pump alarm will go off). Right after going on the pump my husband and I went to visit a sick aunt of mine in a nursing home. Immediately upon entering the building Nikki's alarm on the pump went off, being Continue reading >>

Insulin Pumps Comparison 2016

Insulin Pumps Compared 2016, is here to help you make the decision on which Insulin Pump to choose as we outline the main features and benefits of the leading pump brands for 2016. Once you’ve made the decision to move from injections to an insulin pump the next step is to choose which Insulin Pump you want your child to have, or maybe you are changing from one Insulin Pump to another. Our Insulin Pump comparison guide can help you with that decision. All insulin pumps essentially do the same job, they deliver insulin without the need for injections. However each brand of Insulin Pump has different features and benefits which we outline below. MEDTRONIC MINIMED 640G INSULIN PUMP The Medtronic Minimed 640G is one of the newest insulin pumps to hit the market. Medtronic have a reliable history and are considered one of the leading brands, they have launched many versions of their pump over the years but the Minimed 640G has definitely caused the biggest stir. The pump offers an integrated CGMS option, using the Medtronic Enlite Sensors, though you may have to self fund these. If you choose to go down the integrated CGMS route this pump really comes into it’s own with the new SmartGuard capabilities. The CGMS can detect a hypo 30 minutes before it happens, the pump will then suspend insulin in a bid to prevent the wearer having a hypo, once bg levels have recovered the pump will resume. However you do need to have the sensors to use SmartGuard. The pump itself is discrete and modern looking available in a range of colours which is always popular with children. There is also a choice of insulin reservoir size, you can choose between 180 or 300 units so this could be ideal for teens and those with higher insulin requirements. The Medtronic Minimed 640G links to the Conto Continue reading >>

The Simple And Smart Choice To Help Families Manage Diabetes.

Designed For Today. Ready for Tomorrow.™ Experience our #1-rated Customer Support for yourself, and learn why Tandem is the fastest growing insulin pump company on the market.1 Fill out this form to have a Tandem Pump Specialist reach out. The t:slim X2 Insulin Pump, approved for ages 6 and up, is simple to learn for kids, as well as parents, school nurses, and anyone else involved in their care. So you can rest easier, whether they’re at home, school, camp, or sleepovers. Continue reading >>

Can Insulin Pumps Work Better Than Injections For Kids With Diabetes?

(Reuters Health) - Children and teens with type 1 diabetes who use insulin pumps may have better-controlled blood sugar and fewer complications than youth who inject insulin, a new study suggests. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that develops when the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed to allow blood sugar to enter cells and produce energy. People with the condition usually have to test their own blood sugar level throughout the day and inject insulin to manage it; otherwise they risk complications like heart disease and kidney damage. Researchers examined data on 14,460 diabetes patients under 20 years old who used insulin pumps and another 16,460 patients who injected insulin. With pumps, patients were less likely to develop dangerously low blood sugar or a life-threatening accumulation of acids in the blood that happens when sugar levels get too high. “The study adds to the growing evidence of the benefits of insulin pump therapy, when applied appropriately, in the young,” said Dr. Roman Hovorka of the University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories in the U.K. Previous research has suggested pumps may help young patients get better blood sugar control than they can achieve by giving themselves multiple daily insulin injections, Hovorka, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. But research to date on how well pumps work to prevent dangerously low blood sugar has yielded mixed results, he said. All of the patients in the current study had been using either injected or pumped insulin for at least one year. Overall, dangerously low blood sugar known as hypoglycemia happened at a yearly rate of 9.55 out of every 100 kids treated with insulin pumps, compared with almost 14 children out of every 100 treated with injectio Continue reading >>

Kids Can Be Kids With The Medtronic Insulin Pump

Tess doesn't let diabetes get in the way of her fun. "When Tess was 15 months old, I found her drinking from the paddling pool in our garden. She was too young to tell me she was thirsty. This type of behavior lead us to discover that she had type 1 diabetes and she was put on a regimen of 4 injections a day. It was always difficult to keep control because most of the time Tess would be high but then she would crash unexpectedly which made life difficult for everyone. On her 2nd birthday, she was put onto the MiniMed insulin pump and since then, we have felt that we have Tess back again. To all other parents who have thought about getting their child an insulin pump, I would tell them to get one as soon as possible!" Depending on how much your child wants others to know, consider encouraging him/her to do a "show and tell" about their diabetes and their cool pump technology. Hanging out and playing with friends is one of the best ways for your child to be healthy and stay emotionally balanced. Your child's social life while on a pump can be as flexible as your child's schedule demands, improving your child's mood and quality of life. "To all other parents who have thought about getting their child an insulin pump, I would tell them to get one as soon as possible!" Continue reading >>

Insulin Pump Vs. Insulin Injection: Which Is Best For Type 1 Children?

Insulin pumps therapy is associated with better glycemic control and fewer complications, new study suggests. Insulin delivery via injection and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion via insulin pump were compared in a recent observational study to determine whether the rates of severe hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis are lower with insulin pump therapy compared with insulin injection therapy in young adults with type 1 diabetes. The study population included 30,579 patients younger than 20 years with type 1 diabetes duration of more than one year and who have been treated with either insulin pump therapy or with multiple daily (≥4) insulin injections for at least one year. Researchers examined data of 30,579 participants with mean age of 14.1 years, in which 14,119 patients used insulin pump therapy (median duration, 3.7 years) and the other 16,460 patients used insulin injections (median duration, 3.6 years). Patients using pump therapy (n = 9814) were matched with 9,814 patients using injection therapy. The study findings show that patients were less likely to develop severe low blood sugar (difference, −4.42 [95% CI, −6.15 to −2.69]; P < .001) or diabetic ketoacidosis (difference, −0.63 [95% CI, −1.24 to −0.02]; P = .04) when using an insulin pump instead of insulin injections. The glycated hemoglobin levels were also lower in young people who used insulin pump (8.04%) than in those who injected insulin (8.22%); (difference, −0.18 [95% CI, −0.22 to −0.13], P < .001). Total daily insulin doses were also lower with an insulin pump therapy (0.84 U/kg) than with injections therapy (0.98 U/kg); (difference, −0.14 [−0.15 to −0.13], P < .001). There was no significant difference in body mass index between pump therapy and injection therap Continue reading >>

Insulin Pump Therapy

Pump Contents Insulin Pump Therapy Why Good Control is Important Pumps vs. Shots Pump Basics Using the Pump Is the Pump Right for You? Kids and Pumps Life on the Pump Wearing Your Pump Pumps in School Getting Started with the Pump Infusion Sets Related Products Links and Resources Insulin Pump Therapy An insulin pump is a small mechanical device, a little larger than a pager that is worn outside the body, often on a belt or in a pocket. It delivers fast-acting insulin into the body via an infusion set -- a thin plastic tube ending in a small, flexible plastic cannula or a very thin needle. You insert the cannula beneath the skin at the infusion site, usually in your abdomen or upper buttocks. You keep the infusion set in place for two to three days (sometimes more), and then move it to a new location. All insulin is delivered through the infusion set. The insulin pump is not an artificial pancreas. Rather, it is computer-driven device that delivers fast-acting insulin (NovoLog, Humalog, or Apidra) in precise amounts at pre-programmed times. Wearing an insulin pump might require more work on your part than traditional injection therapy, especially if you are not used to checking your blood sugar several times a day. You must also learn to use the pump to deliver the extra insulin you require when you eat. The following companies make or sell insulin pumps in the United States: When you consider pump therapy, be sure to contact each company to learn about their product offerings. Insulin pump features vary, and you want to be sure to find the pump that best meets your needs. The number of people using insulin pump therapy to manage their diabetes is growing rapidly; roughly 500,000 people around the world use an insulin pump. Their reasons for choosing the pump are many, Continue reading >>

Insulin Pump Therapy For Kids

There’s no doubt that interest in insulin pumps is up among people with diabetes. In fact, the most commonly asked question of the staff at the Yale Children’s Diabetes Program in New Haven, Connecticut, is, “Am I a candidate for the pump?” or “Is my child a candidate for the pump?” In many cases, the answer is yes. Let’s have a look at what makes a child a good candidate for a pump and what’s involved in getting started using one. As you read, keep in mind that this article describes primarily how the Yale Children’s Diabetes Program operates. As in all aspects of diabetes care, there are many “right” ways of doing things, and the diabetes center in your area may do things differently. If you are interested in any of the methods or products mentioned in this article, please check with your health-care team before making changes in your child’s diabetes-care routine. Who’s a pump candidate? The children who are most likely to be offered a pump at Yale are those who are working very hard to maintain normal blood glucose levels, those who are not meeting goals, those who ask about pump treatment and how it might help them, and those whose episodes of hypoglycemia or high blood glucose are affecting their school work, sports performance, and normal, day-to-day living. However, pump treatment will succeed only if both child and parents are motivated and have reasonable expectations of what a pump can and can’t achieve. They must understand that a pump is only as good as the person operating it. In addition, parents need to be reliable, and a child must be willing to check his blood glucose level at least four times a day. In fact, a child or teen wouldn’t be considered for pump treatment at the Yale Program if this minimum requirement were not Continue reading >>

Children And Pump Therapy

We're dedicated to creating medical devices to help you and your child better manage diabetes. Whether your child was just diagnosed with diabetes or has been managing it for some time, Medtronic is the right place to turn for help. Over 250,000 families who have children with diabetes count on Medtronic and our diabetes products to secure their child's long-term health. In concert with your healthcare professional, we are committed to providing the best products, service, and support for you and your family. How can Medtronic Products Help My Child? It is likely that you and your child regularly seek information that will help you best manage his or her diabetes. While many options are available to children with diabetes, the Medtronic insulin pumps deliver precise, timely insulin doses 24/7, similar to the way a healthy pancreas delivers basal and bolus insulin. What is an Insulin Pump? Like a pancreas, an insulin pump continuously delivers tiny doses of insulin to your child's body, and it replaces the need to give routine insulin injections with syringes or pens. Insulin pumps are not implanted in your child's body. They are small enough to fit in a pocket or on your child's waistband. Is My Child Right for Insulin Pump Therapy? From infants to teenagers, thousands of families every year discover that insulin pump therapy is a better way to manage their child’s diabetes. Pump Compatibility Quiz (True or False) How do you know whether your child is right for pump therapy? Take the following quiz and talk with your healthcare professional about the results. Do you have basic familiarity with diabetes (i.e. what insulin does, what blood sugar levels should be, what hypoglycemia and DKA are and how to treat these problems if they arise)? Do you and your child regularl Continue reading >>

Pump Therapy For Children: Weighing The Risks And Benefits

View 1: The Cons of Insulin Pump Therapy in the Young Child Abstract In Brief Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy can provide improved diabetes care and improve quality of life for some children with diabetes. However, insulin pump therapy in children poses unique problems not faced in adult diabetes management. Appropriate supervision of pump therapy in a young child requires an adult who is motivated, educated, and available at all times to manage the insulin pump. Over the past 10 years, endocrinologists and individuals with diabetes have increasingly attempted to reach near-normal blood glucose values in diabetes management. The use of the insulin pump to achieve these goals has become increasingly popular over the past 5 years. As physicians gained experience using insulin pumps in adults and older adolescents, we began to question its usefulness in younger children. Parents, also, are increasingly asking about continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy in young children. Parental interest is often driven by information obtained from Websites and chat rooms on the Internet. Insulin pump use as an alternative to injection therapy is often described in these forums as a promising alternative to achieve better metabolic control and a more flexible lifestyle for young children. These Websites are not always objective, however, and information obtained from chat rooms is often biased toward the individual needs of a single patient. Nevertheless, the Internet is a powerful force influencing family and physician decision making. With increasing interest from families for insulin pump therapy, physicians need to be prepared to discuss the pros and cons of CSII therapy in children of all ages. CSII therapy has proven to be an effective tool in diab Continue reading >>

Insulin Pumps For Children

Results of recent studies* show that insulin pumps can be both safe and effective for toddlers and young children, provided that their parents are both knowledgeable about and motivated to use the device. An insulin pump may help make the task of balancing insulin and glucose easier and can also help reduce hypoglycaemia. Many clinical studies* confirm that Type 1 patients of all ages who switch from multiple daily injections (MDI) to insulin pump therapy report improvements in their quality of life and increased satisfaction with their treatment. I realized in the first few hours of learning about an insulin pump that life would be different. It was clear to me that with a pump, my child would have a better life. How the MiniMed® 640G insulin pump can help in daily life The MiniMed® 640G insulin pump has many features and settings that may be ideal for younger users. The Bolus Wizard® takes into account previously administered insulin that is still in the body, so that the bolus calculations are more accurate. A child lock feature that disables pump buttons, so insulin can not accidentally be programmed. A remote control is also available to put parents in sole control. Where can my child keep his or her insulin pump? This is often one of the first questions asked by many parents and children. In fact, the pump can be easily attached to a belt or carried in a pocket. Various pump cases are also available. Insulin pumps and sports? How does that work? There are often questions about wearing the pump during activities such as sports, dance and parties. Usually, the pump can remain attached without interfering in these activities. The pump can be disconnected (for up to 60 minutes) for showers, swimming or intense activity. It has to be connected again after, and in ca Continue reading >>

Insulin Pump Rundown

Choosing an insulin pump doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process. Should you go with a more traditional pump where you can monitor your insulin levels directly? Are you looking for a model that works with a BGM monitor and allows you to administer insulin via a remote? Maybe you need a pump that offers integration with a CGM system. What about size? Color? To use tubes or not to use tubes? Presenting the options so you can find out what pump best fits your lifestyle is our goal. So, with several models on the market, let us help you sort through the choices by taking a look at what’s available and breaking down the various features of each. We’ve separated the pumps into four categories: pumps that incorporate or work with a Blood Glucose Monitor (BGM) and offer Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), pumps with just CGM capability, pumps with just a BGM, and standalone pumps that don’t work with a BGM or offer CGM. Hybrid Closed-Loop System The 670 G system is the newest member to the Medtronic pump family and the first hybrid closed-loop system. In other ways, it is a like a “basal modulator” where you have to still bolus but it predicts your basal rate. Every 5 minutes, the auto-mode option (hybrid closed-loop) automatically adjusts basal insulin delivery based on your sugar levels to keep you range. It is excellent at catching lows because it stops your insulin dosage 30 minutes before you reach your pre-selected low limits, then it will automatically restart insulin when your levels recover. Possible concerns: excessive alerts and extended menu that needs clearing. Only approved for ages 14+ because it has a total daily dose requirement of at least 8 units a day. Feeling of loss of control of management with closed-loop system. Pumps with BGM and CGM ca Continue reading >>