April 8, 2000
Daily Care
Question from Houston, Texas, USA:
My daughter, 7 years old, was diagnosed with diabetes 4 months ago. We were very pleased when we went in for her last visit (3 month visit after initial diagnosis) and her A1C level was 6.2 — down from 12.5. (The goal was 7.0 – 7.5). She is currently on a 3 injection/day program. She gets one unit of Humalog and 1 unit of Ultralente in the morning and evening and 1 unit of Humalog at lunch. She is still in honeymoon. She is the only one out of 4 diabetics at her school that receives a pre-lunch injection. I am curious as to why more doctors do not recommend the 3 injections/day? It appears to give me greater control over her diabetes which will ultimately give her better long-term health. What are the pros and cons to this?
Answer:
It’s great that your child’s control is really good. Keep up the good work. You are right in thinking that 3 injections per day can give good control, but unfortunately there is little hard evidence at present to suggest it works any better than other intensive regimes. However, it does give greater flexibility. The bottom line is that if it is right for your child and you can cope with it, carry on.
JS
