October 28, 2004
Blood Tests and Insulin Injections, School and Daycare
Question from Mattawan, Michigan, USA:
I have a seven year old son, in first grade, who has diabetes. He was diagnosed at two and was put on a pump at four. He has been doing his own glucose testing at school since he was five. I want to request that he be given consideration to start testing in class. What is the best way to approach this and is he old enough to do so? I have seen numerous things on this site, but am looking for more up-to-date and age relevant information.
Answer:
A seven year old, with supervision, can certainly do self glucose monitoring. However, I would talk with the school teacher and nurse to determine what their concerns are. Be prepared to explain when you’d like to have testing done and what to do with the results. Many schools want to protect the other students by having testing done in the nurse�s office. So, you want to be specific about when it is necessary to do the checks in the classroom.
BS
