World-first baby turns one year old!

May 2015 saw the arrival of baby Euan and a year on he is a bouncing bundle of joy!

Euan was a “world-first” baby, as he was born naturally to a mother with an artificial pancreas.  Mum Catriona Finlayson-Wilkins – benefitted from an  artificial pancreas throughout  her pregnancy and was the world’s first and only mother to deliver naturally whilst using the cutting-edge technology.

David Booth, NNUH Chief of Women and Children’s Services said: “We’re really pleased that both Cat and Euan are doing so well.  Treating diabetes in pregnancy can be particularly challenging because hormone levels are constantly changing and blood sugars can be difficult to predict. The trial represents an exciting step forward in the treatment of diabetes in pregnancy.”

Cat, owner of Face Painting and Body Art by Body Painting said: “Euan is doing really well; he’s walking and has eight teeth so far with a habit of rubbing food in his hair! Thank you to both the Norfolk and Norwich and the research department for all their help.”

Zoe Stewart, Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge said: “The artificial pancreas team wish Euan a very happy first birthday and are delighted that both he and Catriona are doing so well one year on. We hope that upcoming developments in diabetes treatments can be quickly translated to help women with diabetes have safer and healthier pregnancies and to give their babies the best possible start to life. “

The NIHR’s Closed Loop in Pregnancy study, under which this technology is being tested, is ongoing and its results are expected to be published later this year.  If the findings are positive, this may pave the way for this technology to become available for more women with diabetes who conceive in the future.

About the NIHR’s Closed Loop in Pregnancy study

The pancreas is the organ which produces insulin, which is one of the main hormones that help to regulate blood glucose levels.  In Type 1 diabetes, the beta cells that produce insulin are attacked by the body’s immune system, so an artificial pancreas can help to maintain insulin production, keeping the symptoms of diabetes at bay.

The artificial pancreas has now been used in 17 pregnancies– one from Ipswich Hospital, 10 from Cambridge University Hospitals, and six from Norwich all via caesarean section.

An artificial pancreas device system (also known as an AP APDS) is a small, portable medical device that is being designed to carry out the function of a healthy pancreas in controlling blood glucose levels. It uses digital communication technology to automate insulin delivery31. An APD system is worn externally on the body, and is made up of three functional components:

1. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM).
2. A digital controller.
3. An insulin pump (CSII).

Two of these three components are already available (CGMs and insulin pumps), and are being used routinely by some people with type 1 diabetes.