Here's the permission slip every T1D parent needs: with a young child, dosing during or after the meal is not cheating. It's not failing at pre-bolusing. It is, in plain black and white in the international pediatric diabetes guidelines, an okay thing to do. Parents, exhale.
The people who write the rules for kids with type 1, ISPAD, carve out a specific exception for infants and toddlers who are unreliable eaters. It's not a loophole, it's the guidance, built on the real risk of lows in tiny bodies. And the other direction is backed too, when you can dose before the meal, kids hit a lower glucose peak and a lower A1C, with no extra hypoglycemia. Before when you can, after when you can't, and both are in the book.
In this episode:
- Why dosing after the meal is allowed for young kids (per ISPAD)
- The reason the guidelines built in the toddler exception
- The research supporting pre-meal dosing when it's safe
- Letting go of the guilt you don't need to carry
This Week's Challenge: For the parents, let go of one piece of guilt. If you've been forcing an early dose and stressing about lows, try dosing right after the meal this week for what they actually ate, and bring it to your care team.
Helpful resources and newsletter: https://yourbestt1dyear.com
Connect with Neil: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@the.betes Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebetes Facebook: https://facebook.com/neilgreathouse LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/neil-greathouse-a607b912 Website: https://yourbestt1dyear.com
Books on Amazon: Type 1 Diabetes – One Day at a Time: https://a.co/d/6UHooWJ Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories: https://a.co/d/dfIlyI1
What is Your Best T1D Year?
Managing Type 1 Diabetes doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Each 5-minute episode of Your Best T1D Year is packed with practical strategies, mindset shifts, and a little humor to help you feel more in control and less frustrated by diabetes.
Hosted by Neil Greathouse, this Monday, Wednesday, and Friday podcast delivers quick, relatable episodes that make learning about T1D effortless - so you can build small wins that lead to big changes.
📅 New episodes drop every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
🎧 Subscribe now and start making diabetes management feel easier - one small habit at a time.