Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2010) 24 OP1.1

BSPED2010 Oral Presentations (RCN CYP diabetes session) (1) (5 abstracts)

Insulin pump therapy in children with type 1 diabetes and its effect on growth and metabolism: 4 years experience

Amir Babiker & Vipan Datta


Norfolk and Norwich University hospital, Norwich, UK.


Background: Pump has become increasingly more popular amongst clinicians in the management of children with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). It improves the metabolic control in most patients though it may have a negative effect on growth. Eighty children with T1DM at our institute are currently treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) to achieve optimum glycaemic control.

Aims: To identify the effect of CSII on hospital admissions, hypoglycaemic episodes, HbA1c, BMI and insulin daily requirement.

Methods: The data were collected retrospectively for 55 patients on CSII in the period 2004–2008. The means of pre and post HbA1c were calculated from three values for each, i.e. 1 year pre and 1 year post CSII. The weight, height, BMI scores and the insulin requirement pre CSII were statistically compared to the same parameters 1 year post CSII.

Results: 55/325 children with T1DM were commenced on CSII based on NICE criteria. 52.7% (n=29) males and 47.3% (n=26) females. The mean age of diagnosis was 6.5 (1–15) years and the mean age of starting CSII was 9.8 (1.7–17) years. The CSII was initiated by a trained specialist team in all patients. 38.2% (n=18) patients ≥12 years were offered CSII because multiple dose injections (MDI) failed to achieve target HbA1c. In 61.8% (n=37) patients <12 years MDI therapy was considered to be impractical or inappropriate. There was a reduction in HbA1c and hypoglycaemic episodes post CSII but not in hospital admissions. There was a significant reduction in insulin requirement but an increase in BMI SDS post CSII. The CSII was not discontinued in any of our patients because of non sustained improvement in glycaemic control.

Conclusions: CSII has a significant reduction in hypoglycaemic episodes and insulin daily requirement but may worsen the BMI in children with T1DM.

Volume 24

38th Meeting of the British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes

British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes 

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