Efforts to maintain blood glucose levels in a target range involve balancing insulin, food intake, and exercise. Most children manage diabetes with two or three insulin injections a day. However, some need four or more injections. Insulin injections are usually given at regular times each day. Different kinds of insulin work harder at different times of the day.
Most children take more than one kind of insulin.
The kinds of insulin a child needs and the times insulin is taken are determined individually for each child. There is no strict rule about the age at which children should be able to give their own insulin injections. Some children are ready to do their own injections at age 12, while others are ready at 7. Some children and teenagers use an insulin pump, which delivers a continuous low dose of insulin, as an alternative to insulin injections. An insulin pump comes with special instructions for care and maintenance, which should be included in a written plan.