Diabetic children may benefit from text messaging reminders to check blood sugar

• Just about everyone owns one, and now, new research shows cell phones may play an important role in helping children with diabetes remember to check their blood sugar.
• Lori Laffel, M.D., from the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, conducted a study to determine if text messages sent via cell phone and over the Internet would help children with diabetes.
• Preliminary results from Dr. Laffel's study show children who received reminders to check their sugar via cell phone checked more often than those who were reminded via the computer.
• Dr. Laffel told Ivanhoe, "The study is just ending now, but a preliminary look at the data suggests that children who were given the cell phone reminders were able to respond more readily, and that's not a surprise because kids have a cell phone with them almost at all times, where they're not walking around with a computer."
• The children were sent the reminders at the times during the day they felt were most advantageous.
• "So, if a child had a hard time remembering to check blood sugar before supper, because it's a very hectic time in households, people are coming and going ...
• there's a very gentle reminder, 'Now, would be a great time to check your blood sugar.'
• They would receive this message at a time predetermined," Dr. Laffel says.
• Dr. Laffel points out children with diabetes typically do not check their blood sugar often enough.
• She says, on average, kids check between two and three times a day.
• "I think that technology is our best friend.
• We're always going to see more improvements in technology to help us manage diabetes," concludes Dr. Laffel.