Milan, 21 Feb. (Adnkronos Health) — There are about 2 thousand children under 6 in Italy with type 1 diabetes, 400 new diagnoses every year. For them there is only an automated insulin delivery system (Automated Insulin Devices, Aid), just approved by regulatory bodies in our country and in Europe. But for some years dozens of people, then hundreds and now thousands, are also experimenting in children with ‘DIY artificial pancreases’, the so-called Do-It-Yourself Artificial Pancreas System (Diyaps), based on personalized algorithms and ‘homemade’ by the patient community or by the parents themselves, even sometimes exploiting old out-of-commerce models of other components (pump and sensor).In this way, parents, instead of manually managing blood sugar, can delegate this task to an algorithm, reducing stress and discomfort of children and families. According to an estimate, contained in a study published in 2021 in ‘The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology’, there would be at least 10 thousand people who rely on ‘do it yourself’, of which 20% under the age of 18. Even in Italy, according to these estimates, the cases of use of DIY are dozens.
The experts decided to address the issue at a scientific meeting, the Congress ‘Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes’ (Attd), underway in Berlin until 25 February, dedicated to technological innovations for diabetes management. In this context, specialists from the Italian Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology (Siedp) warn against the risks of using the DIY artificial pancreas in children under 6 years of age with type 1 diabetes.This approach of homemade devices is not shared by a large part of the international scientific community which, however, on the other hand, indicates the urgency of promoting research and clinical experimentation of more automatic systems for children under 6 years, so that in the near future all young patients with type 1 diabetes can access these innovative devices safely.
During the ATT meeting, a consensus document was discussed today for the first time by international experts and patient associations, to bring to the attention of companies and research institutions the need to accelerate the studies of these new systems that have already demonstrated optimal levels of effectiveness and safety in the management and control of the disease even of the youngest.
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