A pediatric exercise counselor should work with the child and family to develop an appropriate program. Currently, there are five classes of oral medications approved by the FDA for treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is important to note that few safety and effectiveness studies have been conducted in the pediatric population. None of these drugs have FDA approval for use in children. However, the consensus panel believes that since children with type 2 diabetes have the same defects as adults, their use should not be excluded and the panel does make recommendations.
Sulfonylureas stimulate the beta cells in the pancreas to make more insulin.
Some of them appear to also make body cells more sensitive to insulin. Meglitinides stimulate the beta cells in the pancreas to make more insulin. In contrast to the sulfonylureas, it has a short duration and no known effect on insulin sensitivity. Biguanides decrease the amount of sugar produced by the liver and increase insulin sensitivity both in the liver and muscle cells. They do not have a direct effect on insulin-producing cells.