Children and Teens

When used carefully by motivated teens or mums and dads for their toddlers, insulin pumps can open up a whole new world of freedom for kids and families living with diabetes. Insulin pumps can also help kids get a better handle on their blood glucose from an early age, meaning they may avoid (or minimise) many of the complications associated with diabetes in later life.

And the pump’s handy features and mechanisms to improve insulin delivery for active young people and are great for stressed out parents!

To find out more, follow the links below.

For Parents
For Teens

For Parents

If you’re a motivated parent (and we know you are) then an insulin pump could help you more effectively manage your toddler's or young child’s diabetes. In fact, studies on young pumpers have shown an improvement in HbA1c, as well as a reduction in severe hypoglycaemia by up to 53 per cent.^1-6

Pumps can also help alleviate some of the worry and stress parents experience as their toddler or young child adjusts to life on insulin.

Pumps may be good for addressing:

• Frequent hypoglycaemia, particularly at night: Insulin pumps can give constant, more even delivery of insulin, while the use of only short-acting insulin helps to reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia. The Bolus Wizard™ calculator (unique to Medtronic) helps to take the guesswork out of calculating the right bolus dose or correction dose to bring the blood glucose back within tight control, and reduces the risk of your child experiencing severe hypoglycaemia.

• Unpredictable food intake: An insulin pump enables you and your child to program a food bolus dose that can be evenly delivered over a period of time (e.g. one hour), or cancelled if your child doesn’t finish his or her meal. A pump is also able to deliver repeated small bolus doses in accordance with your child’s eating habits.

• Low insulin dose requirements: The Paradigm™ Veo™ insulin pump delivers insulin in increments as low as 0.025 units, and each dose is precisely measured. It also allows different basal patterns to cope with days of extra activity where not as much insulin is required, or to cope with days of inactivity or sickness where more insulin is required.

The Paradigm™ Veo™ insulin pump

Medtronic’s state-of-the-art Paradigm Veo insulin pump has all sorts of features and settings that are ideal for younger users. These include:

• An optional child block feature that disables the buttons so no insulin can be accidentally delivered
• A remote control so parents can deliver a bolus dose of insulin to their child without using the buttons on the pump – and without curious kids watching on, learning how to deliver their own boluses before they’re ready!
• A clever, compact design that can be easily worn in a very small backpack, or in a colourful small soft pouch on a belt or in a pocket, away from little fingers
• One million automated safety checks inside the device per day giving parents better peace of mind
• The Bolus Wizard™ calculator, which takes active insulin into account so that bolus calculations are more accurate
• A range of infusion sets and inserters to suit all ages – even babies just weeks old. This means children can play and do normal “kid’s stuff” without being bothered by injections

Taking insulin delivery to a whole new level, the Paradigm Veo System is the first insulin pump (when used in conjunction with the continuous glucose monitoring component) in the world equipped with an optional automatic shut-off mechanism, called Low Glucose Suspend (LGS). Affording greater safety and peace of mind, LGS will automatically stop insulin delivery for two hours whenever blood glucose levels reach a pre-set low and you do not respond to the alarm. This can really help to manage the risks and concerns around hypoglycaemia, for you, your child, and your whole family.

For Teens

Growing up is hard enough without having to deal with diabetes, too. Your body is already going through many changes, and the last thing you need is to worry about an extra huge change like wearing an insulin pump, right?

Well, believe it or not, a pump can make managing your
diabetes easier, not harder! Whether you’re studying for an exam, participating in a swimming carnival, or going out to the movies with mates, having a pump by your side can make the ride through high school – and diabetes – a whole lot smoother.

Below, we’ve answered some of the questions that teens ask us all the time. If you have a question of your own,
feel free to Ask Lenny.

• Where should I wear my pump?
• What supplies should I bring to school?
• What about sports and other activities?
• Can I drink alcohol?
• What will others think?

Where should I wear my pump?
The first question many teenagers interested in pump therapy ask is, “Where do I put it?' The pump can be attached to any belt, worn on a waistband, or in a pocket. Various pump cases are available. Some girls whose outfits do not have pockets or a waistband will attach the pump to their bra.

What supplies should I bring to school?
In case your infusion set accidentally becomes dislodged while you’re at school, or you need to change it for some reason, it’s a good idea to keep the following stuff at school:

• A bottle of insulin (kept in a refrigerator)
• A new infusion set, insertion device (if you use one) and reservoir
• Alcohol wipes
• An insulin syringe or insulin pen (to give an insulin injection in case the cannula comes out accidentally)
• Extra batteries
• The phone number of your diabetes healthcare team and parent or carer

What about sports and other activities?
Some teenagers are concerned about wearing the pump during activities such as sports, dances and parties. For the most part, your pump will stay on for these activities. However, your diabetes educator will teach you how to take the pump off and reconnect it again for showers, sports and swimming. When you take the pump off, it’s pretty easy to disconnect the infusion set – in fact, it’s usually as easy as a twist. After the activity, wipe the connector end of the tubing with an alcohol wipe and reconnect the infusion set, and the insulin pump will again be infusing. In general, you will not have to make any insulin adjustments if you are going to be off the pump for an hour or less (for most activities). However, if your pump is off for longer than an hour, some dosage adjustments will have to be made. Remember to check with your diabetes educator for the adjustments that will be right for you.

Can I drink alcohol?
When you reach the legal age for drinking, keep in mind that alcohol can lower your blood glucose level hours after it’s consumed. Remember to discuss glucose management tips with your diabetes educator before you drink alcohol.

What will others think?
As you become more accustomed to the pump over time, you may feel more comfortable telling others about the device. Until then, your diabetes educator can help you to find ways to conceal the pump when dating, and of course all sorts of accessories are available to help.

End of year formals and similar events are often a dilemma for teenage pump users, particularly for girls who don’t want their pumps interfering with their outfits. One solution is to wear the pump inside a pair of tights against the thigh. Other girls have worn the pump attached to, or inside, their bra. The pump can also be pinned in a pouch to the inside of a loose fitting area of the dress, where it will not be observed. Again, it can also be removed for the evening, and meal boluses can be given with a needle.

Remember that you have chosen the pump to have better control over your diabetes and to have more flexibility in your life. If you have any questions about fitting the pump into your busy lifestyle, talk to your diabetes educator so he or she can help you find the best ways to make pump therapy work for you!