Diabetes is not a hindrance to school

Informing teachers. If possible, try to meet face-to-face with the class teacher, health worker, other teachers and school staff who interact with your child, inform that your child has diabetes and try to explain the basic principles of the MiniMed ® insulin pump, as well as briefly explain the diabetes management system.

Homework. Work with your doctor to develop a diabetes management plan for your child. This plan should contain detailed instructions for all situations (for example, what to do in case of hypo- or hyperglycemia, what actions to take in case of an emergency), as well as contact details to be contacted in case of an emergency. Share the completed plan with both the child and the staff at the school with whom your child will interact.

Providing Information . Inform school staff, if possible, of your child’s blood sugar measurement schedule, as well as general information about the operation of the insulin pump and possible emergencies. For example, provide teachers with a MiniMed insulin pump user manual and a step-by-step guide to measuring blood sugar and using the pump. They can be found here.

We also provide a plan of action in case the cannula comes out from under the skin.

Consumables are top notch. Make a list of all the supplies your child will need (a simple checklist). For example, we leave this list in the classroom (with the class teacher), and the second option – in the first-aid post, as well as 2 sets of supplies for your child . Here is a sample list:
– 2 packs of test strips; – spare glucometer ;
– Batteries for pump and glucometer (if needed)
– means for the treatment of hypoglycemia (glucose tablets , etc.);
– infusion sets (if needed) – reservoirs (if needed) – pen, needles and insulin cartridges (if needed and also in case of pump failure) best before date).

Home/School Diabetes Diary. Track your child’s progress at school with a home/school diabetes diary.

Prompt. We provide information about cases of hypo- and hyperglycemia that occurred at home and could affect the child’s condition at school, as well as other important information (for example, data on visits to the doctor). The teacher at the school, in turn, if necessary, records information about blood sugar levels and measurement times (break, lunch, afternoon break, other times when measurements were taken due to symptoms), the amount of insulin administered using the pump , as well as a list of food eaten and the amount of carbohydrates consumed. Or we ourselves record the data in the evening.

Food. If your child eats at the school cafeteria, check the school’s website for a lunch menu – it may already list the amount of carbs. If the lunch menu is not available on the school website, please ask the school for this information. Alternatively, discuss the child’s diet with school staff to record relevant information in a diary. If your child is bringing lunch boxes , list how many carbohydrates are in each meal. For example, write a list of meals on a card that is inside a lunchbox . If desired, the list can be supplemented. Thus, you can calculate how many carbohydrates are contained in each meal eaten and enter the necessary information into the pump.