

Or your baby may be given an insulin pump instead. Some insulin pens give half units of insulin, which can be helpful when injecting a baby-sized dose. It can be scary injecting your baby at first, but it gets easier. Some children prefer to inject, as pumps can feel like a burden because it’s attached to them all the time. There are guidelines about who can use one, and they will be able to tell you. If your child would like to use a pump, ask a healthcare professional. You can also change the dose to provide more insulin if they have something to eat or if their blood sugar level rises too high. The pump gives doses of rapid-acting insulin throughout the day and night. Some children and teenagers use an insulin pump rather than an insulin pen. This makes the insulin act quicker and so a hypo more likely. For example, don’t inject your child’s leg just before they play football. Make sure they don’t inject into a site that they’ll use straight away for an activity.

Your child will probably find the first few injections a bit uncomfortable or painful, as you’ll both be tense and anxious, but as their confidence grows, injecting will get easier. You’ll usually inject insulin four (or more) times a day with an insulin pen. Like we said earlier, there’s no right or wrong age to start injecting yourself, so don’t feel under pressure to do it. Once your sharps bin is full, your parents will help you get rid of it. Press the plunger until the dial goes back to zero.Ĭount to 10 slowly to give the insulin time to get into your body and then take the needle out.Īll that’s left to do now is get rid of your needle using your needle clipper or sharps bin. When you’re ready, make sure the spot is clean and dry, dial your dose and insert the needle at a 90º angle. Point your pen in the air and press the plunger until insulin comes out the top of the needle. Take off both the caps and dial up two units of insulin. Priming your pen – This gets rid of the air before you inject. If not, you can get these hard lumps that stop your body using the insulin properly. The most important thing is to choose a different spot each time, at least 1cm or half an inch from where you did it last. Just follow these six easy steps:Ĭhoose where you’re going to inject – You’re looking for fatty tissue, so you could choose your stomach, your thighs or your bum.
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How to inject insulin It’s simple to inject insulin.
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All of this stuff your parent or guardian can pick up for free on prescription at the doctors or pharmacy. You also need a needle clipper or a sharps bin – these are for getting rid of your needle safely once you’re done. Next is your needle – It’s really small and thin because it only needs to go just underneath your skin, not into a vein or a muscle, which means it hurts less. If you use a reusable pen, you’ll need to put the insulin cartridge in yourself. Your insulin kitįirst, you’ll need an insulin pen – A disposable one already has the insulin in it, so it’s ready to use. You can show them how it’s done using our video, or by reading through these simple instructions with them. When they say they’re ready, try to encourage them. When they’re ready, you can help them take on the responsibility themselves. Your child needs to make the decision in their own time. Others may want to get used to having injections given to them by an adult, before learning to inject themselves when they feel they’re ready. Some children prefer to do it themselves straight away. There’s no right age for your child to start doing their own injections.
