The mother of a toddler, who is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus, asks a nurse if her child would benefit from an insulin infusion pump. Which statement should be the basis for the nurse’s response?
ExplanationInsulin pumps are becoming more common in children. Checking the blood sugars, adjusting the insulin, trying to have the child eat the appropriate amounts of food, and getting the activity needed require parental diligence. Toddlers are not too young and are candidates for insulin pumps. Toddlers do produce decreasing amounts of insulin for up to 1 year. It is very difficult to adjust the basal rate for active toddlers when insulin is being produced. It is true that toddlers receive very small amounts of insulin, but that is not an issue affecting whether or not the child can have an insulin pump.
