My child has type 1 diabetes. She takes insulin three times a day. She is only nine years old and has lot of restrictions on foods. She has to take insulin before meals and her sugar level keeps on fluctuating. Her weight has been decreasing considerably in the last two months. She gets terrible headaches and suffers a lot of pain in her legs. Is there any way her condition can be improved? Can she eat the same foods as other normal children? Are there any alternatives to insulin injections?

Unfortunately, to date, there is no alternative choice to insulin injections other then an insulin pump, which is a portable device that injects insulin continuously under the skin, but requires the insertion of a needle under the skin every three to four days. You can try to improve your child’s blood sugar control by the use of the new analog long-acting insulin, glargine (Lantus), after discussing it with your endocrinologist. Lantus provides good control without excessive blood sugar fluctuations.

About food, in my opinion each child could eat whatever he/she wants without introducing an excessive amount of fast-acting sugars. This I think is something that you should discuss with your dietitian or at your hospital.

AS