Mobile phone technology to help children manage Type 2 diabetes

Mobile phone technology has been recommended for children living with Type 2 diabetes to monitor their blood sugar levels instead of pricking their finger.

This practice has already been approved for children with Type 1 diabetes by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).

A panel of experts at NICE has said the real-time continuous glucose monitoring helps to automate the "tiring" and "stressful" process of finger-prick tests several times a day, Sky News reports.

The new technology is aimed to make monitoring a child's glucose levels less burdensome (Image: Canva)

How does the mobile phone technology work?

Sky News reports: "A discrete sensor is attached to a patient's body to monitor both current and previous glucose levels.

"It also displays a prediction of the direction of glucose levels - meaning the patient can inject themselves with insulin to stabilise their blood sugar if needed."

Additionally, this technology gives a continuous stream of real-time information on a smartphone, which allows for optimal management of the condition.

Who is eligible for the new technology?

A committee has recommended the technology be offered to children and young people with diabetes who:

• Have a need, condition or disability that means they cannot monitor their blood glucose by finger prick testing - such as mental health, learning disability or cognitive impairment
• Would need to test at least eight times a day
• Have recurrent or severe low blood sugar levels
• Have impaired blood sugar awareness

Anyone who meets the criteria is advised to speak to their diabetes team to access the technology on prescription.

Dr Judith Richardson, programme director in the Clinical Directorate at NICE, said: "This technology can take away the burdensome task of several finger prick tests a day, which can be tiring, stressful and have a negative psychological impact on the child.

"Improvements made in managing a child's diabetes at an early stage can reduce the health impact of the condition later in their lives, and the potential impact on the health service."

Health minister Helen Whately added: "Offering children glucose monitoring devices will relieve some of this burden on hundreds of children and empower them to manage their condition more easily."