Insulin: A Substance Your Body Needs
Injecting something into your child can be scary. Normally the body makes insulin
in the pancreas. It's important to remember that the insulin you inject is replacing
the insulin your child's body would make if it could.
Why your child needs insulin
Without insulin, food cannot be properly converted to energy. When we eat, most
food is broken down into sugar, which goes into the bloodstream, causing blood sugar
levels to rise. Insulin is the key to unlocking the cells so that sugar from food
can get in and be used for energy.
What having diabetes means
When you have diabetes, the sugar stays in the bloodstream and prevents cells from
getting the energy they need. With type 1 diabetes, your child's pancreas can't
make insulin on its own. So every time you inject insulin, you're just giving
back something your child's body would create if it could.
How to choose an appropriate insulin
Most children with type 1 diabetes use an intermediate- or long-acting (basal) insulin
to lower blood sugar levels throughout the day and night, and a rapid-acting (bolus)
insulin to help lower blood sugar levels at mealtimes. You and your child's
healthcare team may decide that Apidra® is the right choice for your
child's rapid-acting insulin.
A few facts about insulin
Insulin is an effective tool your child's treating healthcare
provider may use to help manage blood sugar.
- Insulin is injected "subcutaneously," or just under the skin
- You take insulin with a very small needle
- It goes into the fatty layer of the skin, where there are fewer nerve endings
- Most people actually feel little discomfort
If you have any questions or concerns about insulin or diabetes, talk to your child's
treating healthcare provider. Like you, he or she wants to make sure your child's
blood sugar is under control.
