Abstract Body

It is well recognised that hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery improves glycaemic control and quality of life in older children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes, but data in very young children is limited. As a result, the majority of commercially available closed-loop systems are not licensed for use in this age-group. While challenging to manage at any age, maintaining recommended glycaemic control is particularly difficult in very young children, due to their high variability of insulin requirements and unpredictable eating and activity patterns. In this talk we discuss the specific challenges of diabetes management in very young children and how hybrid closed-loop therapy might address these. We review most recent published evidence in this age-group, including results of the longest randomised closed-loop study in very young children to date, which showed significant improvements in glycaemic control with closed-loop therapy. Finally, we identify areas for future research with regards to closed-loop technology tailored for very young children and how these might alleviate disease burden.