Paediatric diabetes

Coronavirus

We understand that our families are concerned about coronavirus. 

There is no evidence at present that children and young people with diabetes are more at risk of getting COVID-19. However we realise that it is more difficult to manage diabetes when you are unwell. There is information here to help you talk to your child about coronavirus [pdf] 1MB. 

You will need to follow the sick day rules [pdf] 364KB (ensure you have a working ketone meter and ketone strips). Please contact us if you need further information or are struggling to manage your symptoms. Click here to download our sick day rules. 

We recommend that you try and keep your blood glucose levels in range, have hypo (blood glucose below 4mmol/L) treatment available and keep a good supply of all your prescriptions.

Paracetamol is recommended to reduce fever, such as Calpol.

The best way to reduce your risk is to regularly wash your hands

Prescriptions

Continue to get your prescriptions as normal, DO NOT stockpile. Please be patient with your pharmacy they are likely to have a lot of requests. Give your pharmacy plenty of notice before you run out. We have not heard that there are supply issues at the moment, if you are having issues please email to let us know.

If your diabetes team have started to talk to you about transition it means you have reached an exciting stage in your life. It’s a time of new beginnings, including friends, education or employment. You will be thinking about the future, independence and having more freedom to make your mind up about stuff.

This will also include your transition with your diabetes. Transition means getting ready to move from the paediatric diabetes service to the adult diabetes service. You will be invited to a new clinic with some familiar faces and new ones looking ahead with you and supporting you through these exciting times.

Will there be any changes to my care?

From the age of 14 you will have the opportunity to attend the first half of your clinic appointment on your own to talk to the diabetes team.

Legally, we will always need to see you with your parents up to the age of 16.

After you have turned 16, we can see you by yourself. Often, your parents would still be involved with your diabetes care and it is fine to bring them in if you would want to.

Ready Steady Go clinics

From 16, you will be offered to attend RSG clinics. The nurse and dietitian will talk to you about grown up issues and diabetes such as university, driving, alcohol and relationships etc. 

It is a great opportunity for you to talk about how diabetes fits into your life and helping you to become independent.

Depending which clinic you attend your transition process will be slightly different:

Royal London Hospital

You can either move on to the adult diabetes team in Mile End Hospital or St. Bartholomew Hospital. From the age of 18 years you will meet the adult diabetes team in your usual paediatric diabetes clinic. We do these joint clinics a few times per year, so you can get to know the adult teams before you move on at 19 years old. 

Newham University Hospital

We will see you in the teenager’s diabetes clinic from the age of 15 until 19. When you are ready to move on to the adult diabetes clinic we will have one joint appointment with the adult diabetes team to introduce you to them. The adult diabetes team has clinics in Shrewsbury Road.

Whipps Cross Hospital

Between the ages of 16-19 years you will continue to be seen in children’s outpatients with the familiar faces of the nurse and dietitian from the paediatric service plus a doctor from the adult service. When you are ready to move on you will go to the young person’s clinic at Whipps Cross Diabetes clinic.

Topics to explore as you prepare to transition

With all the life changes ahead of you, we will discuss topics to support your independence and ensure diabetes fits into your lifestyle. We will let you know where you can get more information from and there are some links below.

• Having a healthy diet and lifestyle
• Eating out
• Driving
• Looking after your mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Managing seeing your GP, medical team and picking up prescriptions
• Holidays and / or festivals
• Living independently
• Careers, university, college or work
• Relationships and family planning
• Tattoos and Body Piercings
• Puberty and Menstruation
• Alcohol
• Smoking and help to Stop
• Drugs
• Personal Independence payment (PIP) and finances

Social Media & Web Links

There is a large online diabetes community which may help you feel more supported

• Twitter: @JDRF, @ninjabetic1, @BartsCYPDiab or search #T1D #Diabetes
• Youtube: Diabetes UK,#Type1uncut
• Digibete Films and Rescources
• Diabetes UK - Information for young adults
• JDRF university Toolkit

Be careful with what you read online. Always consult your team prior to making any changes to your diabetes treatment.

School menus

The accurate carbohydrate (carb) counting of school menus is an important part of achieving good diabetes control for children and young people with Type 1 diabetes. Inaccurate carb counting can lead to too little or too much insulin being delivered. 

Unfortunately, we cannot carb count the menus of all the schools we cover and so we rely on parents/guardians and schools working together. You can download our guide to carb counting school menus. 

We have also created sheets to help you carb count your child’s school lunch: 

• Primary school
• Secondary school

If you are using these sheets, please be aware that, as the portion size change, the amount of carbs changes. The portion size should be weighed out to the portion size listed in the guide. 

Key points: 

• Children with diabetes can eat just as much carbs as any other child, they just need insulin beforehand. 
• Insulin doses are affected by the amount of carbohydrates contained in the food. The portion size of the food determines the amount of carbohydrates in the food. 
• There should be a discussion between the parents/carers and school to guarantee accurate and timely carb counting before meals.  
• School are required to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that young people can have school meals. 

School trips 

Parents/guardians should be advised on the catering arrangements when children attend school trips in advance. If a packed lunch is required, parents/guardians should advise school on the carb content of each lunch item.  

If your child is attending a residential school trip, please contact the diabetes team as soon as possible so support can be provided.