Pediatric Diabetes Program

The Weill Cornell Medicine Pediatric Diabetes Program provides comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, and support for children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and their families.

Because most children with newly diagnosed diabetes initially require hospitalization, our team will often first meet families and perform the majority of initial education for diabetes management in the hospital setting. For new visits to our outpatient offices, we schedule appointments whenever possible so that families can meet with our entire team of physicians, nurse practitioners and nutritionists.

We work with families to evaluate all information from glucose meters, insulin pumps, and continuous glucose monitoring systems, both during and between visits, adjusting insulin regimens on a frequent, consistent basis. Depending on a child and family’s particular needs, we generally tailor office visits to focus on nutrition, medical therapy, or psychosocial stressors.

Services & Programs

Our sub-specialists care for infants, children, and adolescents with:

• Type 1 diabetes (T1D)
• Type 2 diabetes (T2D)
• Steroid-induced diabetes
• Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY)

Camp Freedom

Camp Freedom is a free one-week camp for children with type 1 diabetes.  The camp, which is a collaboration between the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and 92Y in Manhattan, gives kids with type 1 diabetes a chance to have a regular outdoor experience with others just like them.  Contact our division to learn more about this program.

Diabetes Teen Program "Type One-derul Teens"

The Diabetes Teem Program is a patient-centered quarterly program with virtual and in-person outings, designed for middle school children with type 1 diabetes. The program promotes diabetes self-management skills, while encouraging peer support and group bonding. You can enroll by emailing WCMpedsendo@med.cornell.edu.

Transition Program

The Transition Program gives teenagers to young adults the opportunity to review and talk about diabetes education with healthcare providers to promote independence and also prepare them for success after high school. Our pediatric diabetes providers will enroll these young adults into transition clinics where they can formally transition care to adult providers.

Diagnosis & Treatment

• Your child’s initial diagnose will include a full evaluation of diabetes autoantibody titers to confirm specific etiology (classification of the cause and origin of diabetes).
• When appropriate, we also offer genetic testing for MODY and neonatal diabetes.
• For children at risk of type 2 diabetes, we perform in-office oral glucose tolerance tests.

Our team customizes treatments specifically for individual children and families, selecting from a myriad of options in order to provide the best care. We promote the use of insulin pumps and continuous glucose sensors but recognize that multiple daily injections are equally effective and may be best suited for some children and families. Our goal is to incorporate the child into their treatment in an age-appropriate way.

We screen all children for associated conditions including celiac disease and hypothyroidism and work closely with our subspecialty colleagues when referrals are required for positive screening results.

Research

We participate in a cutting-edge, NIH-sponsored national TrialNet study that provides annual screening for first- and second-degree relatives of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, to assess the risk of these related children developing type 1 diabetes. For more information, visit TrialNet.