My 3 1/2 year old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes about 6 months ago. That was a shock because not one person has diabetes in either family. Her sugar levels are so out of control. Sometimes she will eat and times that she will not eat. What can I give her for a supplement if she doesn’t eat and do I give her the full dose of insulin at meal times when she doesn’t eat? She is on Humalog 2 1/2 units at breakfast, Humalog 2 units at lunch, Humalog 1 unit at 3 P.M. snack, Humalog 2 1/2 at supper. Bedtime is Lente Pork 2 1/2 units, and use the sliding scale of Humalog if I need to mix.

Your daughter’s eating challenges are those of a normal little girl but that doesn’t help when you’re trying to manage diabetes. The insulin regimen you describe is using Humalog for her foods, specifically carbohydrates, eaten. I would suggest you discuss with your diabetes team the possibility of adjusting this amount based on what she is willing to eat and/or giving the Humalog right after she is finished eating. This might diminish the battle over food that you are having. I would also recommend a wonderful book called Sweet Kids: How to Balance Diabetes Control & Good Nutrition with Family Peace. It is a helpful tool when dealing with normal children who happen to have diabetes.

KS