Patient education: Giving your child insulin (The Basics)

What is insulin? — Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use sugar. Children with type 1 diabetes (or "type 1 diabetes mellitus") need to take insulin as a medicine to lower their body's blood sugar level.

How is insulin given? — Insulin can be given with:

●An insulin pump – This is a device that slowly delivers insulin to the body. The insulin goes from the pump, through a thin tube, and into the body through a tiny needle put under the skin (figure 1). Insulin pumps work by giving small doses of insulin throughout the day and night.

●Shots – Some children get insulin as a shot or "injection." If your child uses insulin shots, they will get different types of insulin at different times during the day. That way, their body can have the right amount of insulin all day and night.

Many people prefer using a pump over giving insulin shots every day. But it takes time to learn how to use it. Your child's doctor might suggest giving shots at first, until you have gotten used to managing your child's diabetes.

How many times a day does my child need insulin? — It depends on your child's treatment plan. Your child will need insulin doses at different times of the day, including before they eat meals and snacks.

How much insulin should I use? — For some doses, your child's doctor or nurse tells you how much insulin to give to your child. For other doses, you need to figure out the amount of insulin to give to your child. The amount of insulin depends on:

●What your child will eat at the next meal

●How much exercise your child plans to do

●What your child's blood sugar level is

You need to change your child's insulin dose at certain times, such as when:

●Your child gets sick or has surgery

●You travel or your child's routine changes

●Your child grows older and gets bigger

●Your child does certain activities, such as camp or sports

Your child's doctor or nurse will tell you how to change the insulin dose during these times.

How do I give my child an insulin shot? — When your child is young, you will need to give them insulin shots. When your child gets older, they can learn to give the shots themselves.

Your child's doctor or nurse will teach you how to give your child an insulin shot. You need to use a needle and syringe to draw up the right amount of insulin from a small bottle. Then, you:

●Choose a part of the body – You can give insulin shots in different parts of the body (figure 2). It's best to change the part of the body each time that you give the shot.

●Clean that area, if your doctor or nurse recommends it. Some people use an alcohol wipe.

●Pinch up some skin, and quickly insert the needle.

●Push the plunger down all of the way, and then count to 5.

●Let go of the skin, and remove the needle.

●Throw out the used needle and syringe in a container that is made for used needles – Do not put used needles and syringes in the regular trash.

Instead of a needle and syringe, some children get insulin in a device called a "pen injector." This device looks like a pen (figure 3). It contains insulin and uses a new needle for each dose. The steps for using a pen injector are very similar to the steps for using a needle and syringe (figure 4).

How do I give the right amount of insulin with a pump? — If your child uses an insulin pump, you can give extra insulin before meals and snacks. Some children use a special type of pump that automatically adjusts some of the insulin doses. This is sometimes called a "closed-loop system" or "artificial pancreas."

How do I know if I'm giving my child the right amount of insulin? — To know if you are giving your child the right amount of insulin, you can check your child's blood sugar level.

If you use too much insulin, your child's blood sugar level can get too low. If you don't use enough insulin, your child's blood sugar level can get too high. Levels that are too low or too high can cause serious problems.

Checking your child's blood sugar level can also help you choose your child's next insulin dose. To check your child's blood sugar level, you can use a device called a "blood glucose meter." Your child's doctor or nurse will show you how to use it.

Some children use a device that measures their blood sugar all of the time. This is called "continuous monitoring." This device has a special sensor that is inserted under the skin. It measures blood sugar and sends the information to a small box that can attach to clothing or go in a bag. Some types of insulin pumps have a continuous glucose monitor built into them.

More on this topic

Patient education: Type 1 diabetes (The Basics)
Patient education: Checking your child's blood sugar level (The Basics)
Patient education: Managing blood sugar in children with diabetes (The Basics)
Patient education: Carb counting for children with diabetes (The Basics)
Patient education: Managing diabetes in school (The Basics)
Patient education: The ABCs of diabetes (The Basics)
Patient education: Using insulin (The Basics)
Patient education: Should I switch to an insulin pump? (The Basics)
Patient education: How to use an insulin pen (The Basics)
Patient education: How to give an insulin shot (The Basics)
Patient education: How to dispose of needles and other sharps (The Basics)

Patient education: Type 1 diabetes: Insulin treatment (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Glucose monitoring in diabetes (Beyond the Basics)