Initial Management of Youth with Type 1 Diabetes

The Yale T1D Treatment Program has utilized traditional, twice a day injections of insulin as initial treatment of youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Moreover, almost all of our newly diagnosed patients are admitted to the hospital when first diagnosed with T1D. While the limitations of twice a day insulin injections become more apparent over time, it is very effective during the initial treatment of T1D, since most youngsters go through a honeymoon period of increased endogenous insulin secretion during the first 6 months of diabetes. We refer to this approach as “The Bridge to Pump Treatment,” since most of our patients transition to pump therapy when metabolic control of diabetes because more difficult during the second half of the first year of treatment.