An insulin inhaler proved safe for treating children as young as 4 years old, improving satisfaction and reducing weight gain compared with those taking injected insulin, researchers from Johns Hopkins Hospital told The Baltimore Sun.

“Studies have shown that inhaled insulin works just as well as injectable insulin for mealtime glycemic health,” said Dr. Risa Wolf, Director of Johns Hopkins Pediatric Diabetes Center. “This is a good alternative for not having to take an injection with every meal, especially for people who may be needle phobic.”

Inhalable insulin has been available for adult diabetes patients for years, said Wolf, who is also an associate professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s Division of Endocrinology. The trial, published in Diabetes Care, did not show the inhaled insulin worked better, but that it was safe for younger patients.

She said the higher satisfaction rates for patients and parents may result in better outcomes because of social pressures.

“Adolescents can sometimes miss mealtime insulin because it’s hard to take a shot in front of other people,” Wolf said.

The trial enrolled 230 young patients between 4 and 17 years old who had type 1 and type 2 diabetes. They still had to take their daily injections, but half of the participants used an inhaler instead of a mealtime shot. The study ran for 26 weeks, and none of the patients reported difficulty breathing — a rare side effect for adults using inhaled insulin.

Wolf also serves as medical director for Camp Charm City — a summer camp in late July for kids living with diabetes — and said registration for this year’s camp is open. The camp is run jointly by Johns Hopkins Hospital and the American Diabetes Association.

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