Insulin treatment in children and adolescents

Abstract

The management of diabetes in children presents a number of challenges. The ideal is to achieve optimal glycaemic control using an insulin regimen that is acceptable to the child and family, which improves glycaemic control, whilst avoiding hypoglycaemia. The paediatric population differ from their adult counterparts in several ways, such as variability of exercise and eating patterns, and the hormonal influences of puberty, which means that the insulin regimen must be tailored to suit an individual child and their family.

Conclusion: This review will focus on the particular difficulties of managing diabetes in children and, in particular, the problem of avoiding hypoglycaemia while maintaining adequate glycaemic control.