I was considering starting the insulin pump for my five year old son who has had diabetes for three years. Me, my husband or a responsible adult is always with my son to help control things, and since he starts kindergarten in the fall, I want to start the pump this summer so we can get the basal rate set before school begins. Is this a good idea? Have you had a child this young on the pump? How well does the management work?

It is possible for five year olds to be on pumps, although there are very little data on how very young school age kids fare on pumps as opposed to insulin injections over the long term.

It is important that prior to going on a pump you are well-educated on insulin-carbohydrate ratios and corrective doses. It is also critical that you identify persons in the school who will be able to help you with pump management while he is there (someone who can give bolus insulin and do some basic trouble-shooting if there’s a pump failure at school). In our experience with young children on pumps, it usually takes about two weeks to get doses “adjusted.”

LAD