Diabetology

The Section of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology cares for approximately 800 children with diabetes mellitus, ranging in age from infancy to young adulthood. We provide comprehensive, team-based care which seeks to assist the child with diabetes to take control of the disease, to grow and develop in a healthy manner, and to minimize the long-term effects of diabetes.

Children with diabetes enter the Pediatric Diabetes Program either during a hospital admission at the time of diagnosis or by referral to the Pre-ADAPT outpatient clinic.

All patients referred to Riley Hospital for Children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus are hospitalized for approximately three days of medical evaluation and individual instruction in basic survival aspects of diabetes management. Over 100 children enter the program each year by this route. Patients are treated in the Parent Care Unit whenever possible and parents begin participating in their child?s care from the time of diagnosis. Topics discussed during the initial education sessions include basic diabetes principles, recognition and treatment of hypoglycemia, insulin administration, blood glucose monitoring, and meal planning.

The Pre-ADAPT (Ambulatory Diabetes Adjustment Program for Treatment) clinic is an outpatient clinic designed for comprehensive medical, nutritional, educational, and psychosocial evaluation of previously diagnosed diabetes patients referred to Riley Hospital. Patients are asked to complete a knowledge assessment packet prior to the clinic visit to determine any educational deficits. Appropriate laboratory work is performed. After evaluation, most patients are referred to the ADAPT outpatient educational program and are followed in the outpatient diabetes clinics. Approximately 75 patients enter the Pediatric Diabetes Program annually through Pre-ADAPT.

All material presented in this web site was developed by the faculty and staff at James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, and Clarian Health.

[Keywords:Endocrinology, Diabetology, diabetes mellitus, diabetes, hypoglycemia, insulin administration, blood glucose monitoring]