[Treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus by insulin pump in children under 7 years of age].
BACKGROUND
Conventional insulin therapy for diabetes mellitus is sometimes inadequate for controlling metabolic disturbances in young children; the risk of hypoglycemia is particularly high at this age.


METHODS
Ten newly-diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetic children aged 1 to 7 years were treated by continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion using a portable pump. The mean duration of treatment was 17 months (4 to 42 months).


RESULTS
The mean individual capillary blood glucose calculated over periods of 6 months ranged from 84 +/- 23 to 206 +/- 97 mg/dl. The glycosylated hemoglobin values were 6.5 to 8.9% during the same period. There was no hypoglycemic coma; 7 children experienced a total of 16 episodes of ketonuria. The average daily dose of insulin used by these 10 patients was 0.72 +/- 0.24 units/kg.


CONCLUSIONS
Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion is a feasible therapy and it was well tolerated even in the youngest children. External insulin infusion devices appear to be an alternative to conventional insulin therapy and a way of overcoming the therapeutic difficulties encountered with these young patients.
Joseph
M G
MG
Service de Pédiatrie B, Centre Robert-Debré, CHRU Angers.
Ginies
J L
JL
Chomienne
F
F
Limal
J M
JM
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015918:Infusion Pumps, Implantable / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007332:Insulin Infusion Systems / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
Traitement du diabète insulino-dépendant par pompe à insuline chez l'enfant d'âge inférieur à 7 ans.