It is very important for children with diabetes to regularly test their blood glucose levels. The American Diabetes Association says diabetes is "high blood glucose levels that result from defects in the body's ability to produce or use insulin." Regular testing helps kids to keep their blood glucose at normal levels, which can help to ward off the possible side effects of diabetes, such as kidney, eye and heart problems. Small computerized machines called blood glucose meters, which are about the size of cell phones, are how people with diabetes test and keep track of their glucose levels.
Accu-Chek Aviva
The Accu-Chek Aviva comes highly recommended by Childrenwithdiabetes.com. Made and distributed by Roche Diagnostics, the Aviva's compact and lightweight dimensions are perfect for kids on the go. The meter's test strips come in a viral that is easy to manage and that conveniently keeps the strips intact when in a kid's pocket, book bag or back pack. Childrenwithdiabetes.com reports the key features of the Aviva include its 5-second test results, need for only a very small drop of blood, allowing alternate-site testing, memory capable of storing 500 readings, ability to compute averages for seven, 14 and 30 days, four alarms to reminding kids to test and a display that is simple and easy to read.
FreeStyle Lite
Manufactured by Abbott Diabetes Care, the FreeStyle Lite is another meter favored by kids, according to Childrenwithdiabetes.com. No test-strip coding is required and kids are able to check their sugar levels in situations where there is low or no light, thanks to the strip light feature. This makes testing in the middle of the night much easier. In addition to its small size, Childrenwithdiabetes.com lists the features of the FreeStyle Lite as having large, easy to use front buttons, requires a very small drop of blood, being approved for alternative site testing, getting results in five seconds, a memory for up to 400 glucose readings, and capability for seven, 14 and 30 day averages. Kids can set up to four alarms to remind them to test and it can be programmed for either English or Spanish.
DIDGET Glucose Meter
Bayer Diabetes Care is making life with diabetes a bit easier for kids. Its DIDGET Glucose Meter hooks up to Nintendo DS and turns monitoring your blood sugar into a video game. Popsci.com reports that kids are awarded game points and are able to unlock different levels in a video game in return for proper care. And the monitor comes with many of the same features as the leading brands, including five second results, requiring a small blood sample, a memory capable of recording 480 results, an easy to read display and no test-strip coding.
