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Chloé Phippard
Chloe Phippard's daughter, Ava, five months old, will take a daily dose of insulin powder.
A mother suggested to her baby to take part in a medical trial that, hopefully, will protect the child from diabetes.
Chloe Phippard's daughter, Ava, five months old, will take a daily dose of insulin powder to see if it can prevent children from developing this disease.
The test will aim to determine if the immune system can be trained to tolerate the body's own insulin to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes.
Ms. Phippard said the trial "could give her a chance to lead a normal life."
Type 1 diabetes means that the body stops producing insulin, which causes blood glucose levels to rise too high.
This can be fatal and, even with treatment, can lead to blindness, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
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Chloé Phippard
Amelia, 5, Alice, 1 year, and Ava Phippard, 5 months
A coupled study found that Ava had a genetic risk related to the disease, and that her sister Amelia, aged five, was diagnosed as two years old.
"I cried when I discovered the risk, because I knew what Amelia had been going through and I did not want Ava to suffer it too," said Ms. Phippard, of Milton Keynes.
Amelia's diagnosis was a shock to Ms. Phippard, 24, and her husband, Carl, 28, having no family history of diabetes.
She is now given insulin through a portable device and a tube placed under her skin.
"She will never lead a life without diabetes and that's all she's experienced," Ms. Phippard said.
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Chloé Phippard
Five-year-old Amelia Phippard is wearing a device to measure her blood sugar and administering insulin
The primary oral insulin trial hopes to recruit 100 more at-risk babies from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire to participate in the trial.
Participants will receive an insulin powder or placebo until the age of three and will be monitored for six years.
About 1% of children have genes that put them at high risk, which means that they have more than a 10% chance of developing type 1 diabetes.
In the UK, the study is led by Oxford University, with support from the National Institute for Health Research.
Diabetes
There are two main types of diabetes:
- Type 1 – where the pancreas does not produce insulin
- Type 2 – the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body's cells do not react to insulin
Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but usually appears before the age of 40, especially during childhood.
About 10% of all cases of diabetes are type 1, but this is the most common type of diabetes in children. It is sometimes called juvenile diabetes or early diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes tends to develop later in life and is related to lifestyle and overweight.
Source: NHS Choices
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