Understand the use of insulin in the treatment of type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes in children occurs because the pancreas is unable to produce the hormone insulin optimally. That is why the body needs insulin replacement to meet the levels of insulin lost in the body. Treatment of children with type 1 diabetes is very dependent on insulin injections. It is important for parents to know the dosage, type, and when insulin treatment for diabetes management in children needs to be done. Check out the following explanation for more details.

When should a child with type 1 diabetes start injecting insulin?

Insulin is a hormone produced by pancreatic beta cells. Insulin plays a very important role in regulating blood glucose levels and helps convert it into energy.

In type 1 diabetes experienced by these children, the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin optimally. Without insulin, the body can't use or store glucose for energy. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood.

Therefore, children need additional insulin which is used as a substitute for insulin that is needed by the body. This is why the main treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus in children is insulin therapy.

Children need insulin treatment as soon as they get a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. The diagnosis is made through a series of diabetes tests.

To diagnose type 1 diabetes, there are several additional tests that are done to differentiate between types 1 and 2 diabetes, such as antibody and urine tests.

Autoantibody tests are performed to detect autoimmune conditions. Meanwhile, a urine test is useful for checking the presence or absence of ketones in the urine. Ketones are compounds that result from burning fat due to a lack of glucose or carbohydrates in the body's cells.

If insulin treatment is carried out too late, children with type 1 diabetes are at a higher risk of developing diabetes complications. To avoid this, pay attention to the symptoms of diabetes mellitus that are common in children. The symptoms of type 1 diabetes appear more clearly within a few weeks than type 2.

Use of insulin for the treatment of type 1 diabetes

Insulin is classified based on how and how long it acts in the body. There are 4 types of insulin used in the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus, namely:

Fast action insulin (rapid-acting insulin), cfor example, insulin glulisine (Apidra), insulin lispro (Humalog), and insulin aspart (Novolog).
Regular insulin (short-acting insulin), cfor example Humulin R and Novolin R.
Medium-acting insulin (intermediate acting insulin), for example NPH (Humulin N, Novolin N).
Slow or long acting insulin (long acting insulin), for example insulin detemir (Levemir) and insulin glargine (Lantus).

The most common way of giving insulin is by injection (syringe or insulin pen). If the child is too young to use the injection, the parent needs to inject insulin.

Actually there is no certain age standard that determines when children can use insulin independently. However, children aged 9-10 years are generally able to do insulin treatment independently.

Insulin can be injected in the abdomen, upper abdomen, and the area around the buttocks. However, the abdomen and lower part of the chest are the parts that absorb insulin the fastest and most effectively. Find out more about how to inject insulin here.

Apart from injections, insulin can also be given via an insulin pump. This pump is an electronic device the size of a cell phone. The pump is easy to carry, attach to a belt or keep in a trouser pocket.

This pump will deliver insulin into your body which reacts rapidly through a small flexible tube (catheter) under the skin of your stomach and stored in place.

The insulin pump delivers insulin little by little, just as the normal pancreas works. By using an insulin pump, you don't have to bother measuring the dose like using an injection.

Rules for the use of insulin for children with type 1 diabetes

As a parent, you need to know how to treat insulin for children. According to the American Diabetes Association, insulin for the treatment of type 1 diabetes requires 2 doses of insulin injection a day with 2 different types of insulin.

Gradually, the dose of insulin used needs to be increased by 3-4 doses of injection a day using different types of insulin.

For toddlers or babies, daily insulin treatment can still be given, but in limited doses.

Described in a study from the journal Paediatrics Child Healththe dose of insulin required by toddlers and infants is two injections a day. The type of insulin used can be insulin fast action insulin and insulin with action insulin intermediate, namely NPH.

For breastfed babies, each injection is done with a time interval of at least 12 hours. Meanwhile, for older children insulin can be injected before breakfast and lunch. As they get older, children need to increase the dose of insulin injection 3-4 times a day. Each one is done before breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

However, the dose of insulin injection and the type of insulin used can also vary for each child depending on health conditions, blood sugar levels, body weight, and also age. Therefore, you need to consult your doctor to find out the correct dosage and injection rules.

The importance of monitoring children's blood sugar in the treatment of type 1 diabetes

Regular monitoring of blood sugar levels is also part of the management of type 1 diabetes in children. In addition to making sure your child regularly goes through doctor's examinations, having a blood sugar check tool at home can make it easier for self-examination.

Your child will need to check their blood sugar four or more times a day. Regular blood sugar checks aim to ensure that insulin treatment in children can control blood sugar levels to remain normal.

Normal sugar levels for children can vary in value and are adjusted to their age and health development. The doctor will determine the normal blood sugar level that is the target of achieving the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus for your child.

In addition, monitoring blood sugar levels can also be done by continuous glucose monitoring or Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). This device is effective for people with type 1 diabetes who often experience the side effects of insulin use, such as drastically dropping blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia).

CGM is applied to the body, just under the skin, using a fine needle that will check the blood sugar level every few minutes. However, CGM is not considered as accurate as regular blood sugar monitoring. So CGM can be an additional tool, but not a substitute for regular blood sugar monitoring.

Type 1 diabetes in children is an incurable disease, but the symptoms of diabetes can be managed with insulin treatment. The use of insulin for children differs slightly, especially in the number of doses. Therefore, you as a parent need to understand insulin therapy well to help children undergo treatment.