Sensors will be supplied to kids with type 2 diabetes in place of finger-prick testing

According to government officials, doctors can recommend glucose monitors in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The government's top medical advisors have stated that hundreds of youngsters who control their type 2 diabetes by routinely pricking their finger may now check their glucose levels using automated sensors.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said on Thursday that doctors and nurses in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland have been told they can now administer glucose monitoring devices to children with type 2 diabetes who presently use the more invasive finger-prick testing procedures.

Offering the tools to kids would ease their burden and "empower them to manage their condition more easily," according to health minister Helen Whately.

Helen Whately; Minister of State for Social Care of the UK

"Children with type 2 diabetes are being diagnosed more often, and many of them must constantly fret about having to perform finger-prick tests to check their blood glucose levels - frequently several times a day - in order to stay healthy and prevent problems." Helen Whately said.

The gadgets, which provide a constant stream of real-time data on a smartphone, have already been suggested for kids with type 1 diabetes, a less severe version of the condition.

How exactly does the continuous glucose monitor function?

A patient's body is fitted with a separate sensor to track their glucose levels both now and in the past.

The patient can inject themself with insulin to stabilize their blood sugar if necessary because it also shows a prediction of the direction of glucose levels.

The use of the technology allows for more effective management of the disease by providing a constant stream of real-time information on a smartphone.

Who is eligible for this?

A committee has suggested providing the technology to young persons with diabetes who:

• Would have to perform testing at least eight times every day
• Consistently or severely low blood sugar levels.
• Lack comprehension of blood sugar levels
• Have a requirement, condition, or impairment that prevents them from monitoring their blood glucose using finger prick tests, such as mental health issues, a learning disability, or cognitive impairment.
• Children whose parents couldn't afford a good quality smartphone glucose monitoring device.

Anyone who qualifies is urged to contact their diabetic team in order to have access to the technology on a prescription.

Multiple finger prick tests each day, which can be stressful, unpleasant, and have a detrimental psychological effect on the youngster, can be eliminated by this technique. Diabetes can have a negative influence on a child's health later in life and might have a negative effect on the health care if management of the illness is improved early on.

According to Prof. Partha Kar, who serves as NHS England's national specialist adviser for diabetes, many kids with type 2 diabetes have a learning disability, a special educational requirement, or a mental health condition.

Prof. Partha Kar
NHS England's national specialist adviser for diabetes

"It's not right to ask these kids to perform finger-prick tests when non-invasive sensors are on the way to becoming standard care for diabetes, so I'm glad these evidence-based recommendations have been made to give them access to this life-changing technology," he added.