Caring for the child with insulin-dependent diabetes provides a continuing challenge (and too often frustration) for the physician. Although a new classification system (Table) provides a better system for categorizing the child with carbohydrate intolerance,1 and much has been learned about genetic susceptibility2 and viral causes of diabetes,3 the most pressing challenge to the physician is helping the child and family to live with the day-to-day treatment of the disease. In doing so, much time and effort are spent in monitoring various factors to maintain control of the disease, usually in an attempt to normalize the blood glucose level.
BLOOD GLUCOSE CONTROL
Because blood glucose control is dependent on injected insulin, either at intervals throughout the day or continuously through a pump device, the control of the blood glucose level is much more difficult in the insulin-dependent diabetic (type I) than the non-insulin-dependent diabetic (type II). This