Products that make kids diabetes easier

[knipster]

Hiya, I’m doing a design project at school on ways to make diabetes easier and less scary for small kids, but I was only diagnosed at 15 so I never knew, but I really want to design something that will help!
If you have any ideas or anything you wish you had when you were younger - please let me know!
Thanks x

 

[Heyrehair]

Our daughter is 2 and recently diagnosed. She has a cgm and a pump. The thing we find hardest is the days we need to change the canulas. She wriggles so much it takes two of us do it. Not sure what could be done to make this easier though.

 

[Jaylee]

Our daughter is 2 and recently diagnosed. She has a cgm and a pump. The thing we find hardest is the days we need to change the canulas. She wriggles so much it takes two of us do it. Not sure what could be done to make this easier though.

Hi @Heyrehair ,

Welcome to the forum..!

I'm not a pumper. But in can tag experienced pump users in to help with some ideas?
@catapillar @Snapsy @Juicyj

Hope this helps.

 

[catapillar]

Hi @Heyrehair im not sure I'll be much use. The only person Ive changed a cannula on is me and I tend to stay still as required. Have you tried doing site changes when your daughter is asleep? Have you tried doing it when she is fully engrossed in something else (be it YouTube, lunch time, or that nice blanket)?

 

[Snapsy]

Hi @knipster , what a good idea for a project! Aside from a magic wand and a cure I can't think what might have improved my life after my diagnosis aged 11 - I had to grow up quite quickly as a result. Access to things like pumps and CGM would have been amazing - they weren't around for the likes of us back then!

Hi @Heyrehair and thanks for the tag @Jaylee - I ditto @catapillar in that I've only ever changed a cannula on myself. Further, I'm afraid I have absolutely zero experience of children - I can only think of either the art of surprise, or having a very specific cannula changing routine with a specific story or song or distraction or treat or all of the above!

 

[Heyrehair]

Hi all,

Thanks for the feedback. Didn't want to hijack knipsters post.

We've tried the distraction and asleep methods etc, she is just very aware for a 2 yr old, so nothing quite works.

Hopefully with projects like knipsters something will come up in the future to make this easier for toddlers and infants.

 

[catapillar]

Hi all,

Thanks for the feedback. Didn't want to hijack knipsters post.

We've tried the distraction and asleep methods etc, she is just very aware for a 2 yr old, so nothing quite works.

Hopefully with projects like knipsters something will come up in the future to make this easier for toddlers and infants.

I think @Skye's_mummy has a very little one on a pump, she might have some tips on how to manage site changes with a toddler.

 

[knipster]

Thanks for all the feedback ️️

 

[Whirl2]

Hi, my daughter is 6 and injects, I think any thing that would make it fun (if it can be fun) would be good, in idea that just came to mind for her would be different stickers with a hole in the middle that she could chose to stick to her leg as a target to aim for as we always joke where it's going, but on a practical point it would encourage her more to do it herself.

 

[donnellysdogs]

A childs book that emphasises fun food carb counting... just like maths or naming apples.. but having an apple with numbers of carbs next to it..
or a story book telling how "x child" found it interesting and fun to add up her the food on her plate and put the details in a machine. The little girl could see all her friends looking on bwondering what little toy she was playing with. This little toy was going to be a special best friend battery toy.
Story books probably done but they need an injection of fun and life for children for today....


or having pink pens for girlies with a bit of sparkle that could have gold text for bolus or basal.

A magnetic marker board with magnets of injections, food items, gold stars, +'s above set levels and -'s for belows.. for young children and parents so they can work together in a fun way to manage rather than making it horrible to inject every time. Child could put gold stars on and have a treat day out or something for getting a weks worth of stars.

Everyone is stiuck with blue red, silver etc coloured pens if they inject... why not just make the injections/pens a little less plain for kids (and adults?)

Why not have a way to personalise meter holders somehow?