Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) for kids 2-6 years old

Early childhood is an important time for brain development. For children with Type 1 diabetes, keeping blood sugar levels close to normal is very important. High blood sugar during early childhood can affect brain development and may lead to long-term health problems. However, managing diabetes in young children can be difficult because their activity levels, eating habits, and daily routines often change. Researchers conducted the LENNY trial to study how well the MiniMed 780G automated insulin delivery system works in young children with type 1 diabetes. This device uses continuous glucose monitoring and an insulin pump to automatically adjust insulin delivery based on blood sugar levels. The study included 98 children aged 2-6 years from hospitals in Finland, Italy, Slovenia, and the UK. During the study, each child used the device in two different ways: 1. Auto mode, where the system automatically adjusts insulin. 2. Manual mode, where insulin delivery is mostly controlled by caregivers but includes a safety feature to prevent low blood sugar. The main goal was to compare how much time children’s blood sugar stayed in the healthy range. Results showed that auto mode worked better than manual mode. Children using auto mode spent about 68% of the time in the healthy blood sugar range, compared with 58% in manual mode. This means they spent about 145 extra minutes per day with healthy blood sugar levels. Their average long-term blood sugar level (HbA1c) was also lower with auto mode. The device was generally safe to use. There were no severe low blood sugar events, and most health problems during the study were unrelated to the device. Overall, the study found that the MiniMed 780G system improves blood sugar control and is safe for young children with type 1 diabetes. These results may help health authorities approve the device for children younger than 7 years old in the future. If you want to read the whole study but don’t have access to the full version, you can email the corresponding author of the article and they can send it to you.