What's DAFNE?

[Boogers]

DD has been type 1 for just over a year. I've heard of DAFNE but I'm not entirely sure what it is.

She had her insulin to cover lunch about 1ish and she's now watching a film and eating popcorn, which I've weighed and given an extra 2 units for. There will be 2 hours between the last dose on insulin and the next blood test. Is this basically what DAFNE is?

As I understand it, it's carb counting (which you sound like you are doing)

It's short for Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (or something like that) - other hospitals call it something else (I can't remember what DS1's hospital called it now). In the olden days (e.g. when DS1 was diagnosed 13 years ago) you took set amounts of insulin every day, and ate to the insulin, rather than matching your insulin to the food you ate, and eating to appetite.

Yes, that's how I understand it, you adjust your insulin to suit your carb intske not the other way round. DH has been doing it that way ever since I've known him (nearly 20 years).

Have a look at the DAFNE website; it essentially involves using an insulin to carbohydrate ratio, estimating carbs in food by weighing & measuring, taking plus/minus corrections (for high/low readings). Also what to do when ill/exercising/drinking alcohol.

Many local teams have their own version eg Bertie.

Hi Tangerine, thank you for your reply. We carb count and give insulin for what she's eating, so 2 slices of toast with Warburtons Farmhouse loaf at 1:16 = 2 units, plus an apple and juice if she feels like it = 3/4 units. To be honest we're coming through a bad couple of weeks where DD has had a heavy cold which I've read can make levels high, but I've always put this into her BG meter which hasn't given a correction dose for that.

We've an appointment with the paediatric diabetic specialist team on Thursday and I need to write down things to ask.

Hi sauvignon - I've Googled DAFNE but the resources I came across referred me to a website that referred me on to a 5 day training course. And DD is 6 so hopefully she won't be indulging in alcohol yet, though she did inadvertently have brandy cream in Sainsbury's just before Christmas. To be honest, the thought of her doing all the stupid things I did with booze when I was younger fills me with dread. I've heard of dead in the bed syndrome, and our original PDSN (before she went on maternity leave in May) said it was more to do with people drinking and not adjusting doses for what they've drank. The thought of her having even a glass of wine keeps me awake at night.

Ok, she's 6 so a DAFNE course is not appropriate as it's for adults. I don't work in Paediatrics so I'm not so au-fait with what's happening in that area. I do remember something vaguely about KICK-OFF, but that could be group education for teenagers.

Diabetes UK usually do good sign-posting. Their child & family away weekends have a good reputation. Is there a parents group attached to your unit?

I've not been made aware of one but is this something that's normal, something that should be expected? Should I be asking about it at her appointment on Thursday?

I don't know what's normal, I don't know what to ask for.

Boogers if you are not there already can I point you in the direction of the Children with Diabetes (CWD) group - they have a FB page and are very knowledgeable. The email group that the FB page came from was a sanity saver for me when DS was diagnosed. If you can't find it I will try to find you a link, but am going out for the day.

And don't worry about the teenage years yet! We're still learning as we go.

Thank you Tangerine! I'll look that FB group up.

Really good thing and ask your consultant to enroll you. My DS is type 1 ands has been on it and had over one year 2 meetings with a specialist and a group of diabetics accompanied by their relatives) on how to manage day to day carbs meals and insulin levels. Besides this ask GP or consultant to refer you to the dietician. It is a lottery of course. Consultants can be PT with several hospitals and many times leave but nobody is replacing them for years.