Genetic test helps treat diabetic infant

Three-month-old Ivana Das sleeps peacefully in her mother’s arms unmindful of the attention showered on her on Thursday.

She was brought to Chennai last week with high blood sugar levels and was on insulin doses, but now her condition is under control.

The baby from Kolkata was diagnosed with neonatal diabetes, a rare condition affecting infants below six months.

Despite insulin doses four times a day, the baby’s sugar levels remained high. It was then her blood sample was sent for genetic testing to Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre.

After being diagnosed with neonatal diabetes, which occurs due to a gene mutation, the child, admitted to the Centre, was slowly taken off insulin doses and switched to oral diabetics tablets.

Prasanth Das, the child’s uncle, said: “The condition was diagnosed when she developed fever at just 15 days. She is more active now.” Baby Ivana will be discharged soon.

V. Mohan, chairman of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, said genetic testing is essential to identify and treat neonatal diabetes among infants like Ivana.