Smart pump controls blood glucose levels of children with diabetes

A self-adjusting insulin pump keeps the blood glucose levels of children with diabetes stable, and even at healthy levels, according to a study.

The Helsinki-Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) and the University of Helsinki studied the impact of the self-adjusting insulin pump on blood glucose levels and the stress caused by the treatment in children aged 2 to 6 with type 1 diabetes, said HUS in a press release on Thursday.

Treatment of diabetes in young children is demanding, and insulin doses are very low.

The 18-month study found that the self-adjusting insulin pump significantly improved the blood glucose levels of children during the first three months of use, and they remained at the target levels throughout the monitoring. Their long-term glucose value also decreased.

In addition, the parents' experience of the stress caused by treatment decreased as soon as use of the smart pump was introduced, and it continued to decrease as the pump’s use progressed.

"The self-adjusting insulin pump allows patients to reach the blood glucose levels of a healthy child surprisingly well, and keeps them there 44% of the time. We should treat almost all type 1 diabetes patients with a self-adjusting insulin pump. It is also the only way to reduce the burden caused by diabetes," said Pediatric Endocrinologist Anna-Kaisa Tuomaala of HUS Children and Adolescents and the University of Helsinki.

The self-adjusting insulin pump system measures the glucose concentration in subcutaneous tissue every five minutes on the basis of which the insulin dose is automatically increased or decreased. With the development of new insulins and smart pumps, the targets for the blood glucose level of people with diabetes can be narrowed down even closer to the blood glucose levels of healthy people.

"Our research is strongly in favour of the smart pump for children over the age of two. Diabetes in young children should be treated as well as possible so that we can prevent further illnesses when they reach adulthood," Tuomaala said.

A person with type 1 diabetes will retire on average at the age of 54 due to additional illnesses. Effective treatment during a person’s first 10 years of life reduces the onset of cardiovascular diseases and changes in kidney function by 30-50% compared to those who do not reach their treatment target as a child.

The study conducted at HUS's New Children's Hospital included 35 children aged 2 to 6 with type 1 diabetes. The monitoring, which lasted a period of 18 months, was carried out in 2021–2023.

Their treatment balance was assessed on the basis of information provided by a glucose sensor. The newest piece of information included the time period during which a child's glucose variation corresponded to the blood glucose levels of a healthy person. In addition to sensor measurements, long-term blood glucose levels were measured. The stress experienced by the parents was measured on the PAID-PR scale.