Chester County Company Offers New Option To Manage Diabetes In Young Patients
CHESTERBROOK, Pa. (CBS) -- Young children with diabetes rely on their parents or other caregivers to help manage their condition. That's an easier prospect now that the FDA has approved the use of a Chester County company's device in pediatric patients.
The Animas Vibe is an insulin pump -- the first with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) approved for use by kids as young as two years old.
"Little children, especially, sometimes have a very hard time explaining or knowing whether their blood sugar is high or low," says Dr. Brain Levy. "This is especially true for children who haven't yet learned how to speak."
Dr. Levy says the waterproof Vibe tracks glucose levels in the moment and over time.
"It allows a better understanding for the patient, the patient's family, and importantly for the health care professional," he says, "whether that's the doctor, the nurse, or the endocrinologist -- to better manage and adjust insulin dosing in that patient."
Chesterbrook-based Animas is part of Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care Companies, for which Levy is chief medical officer. For young insulin-dependent diabetics, he calls the FDA's move a "breakthrough."
"By having a handle on managing glucose control well from the get-go," Levy says, "we can hopefully allow our children to grow up to lead normal, healthy lives."
