Summer camps for diabetic children: an experience in Antalya, Turkey

To evaluate the effectiveness of diabetic summer camps with objective param eters, we examined the data relative to summer camps organized by our depar tment in Antalya in the last two years. The duration of the camps was 10 da ys. Twenty-eight diabetic children with an average age of 13.6 +/- 2.9 year s (range 8-20) participated in the first camp, fourteen of whom participate d in both camps. The medical personnel consisted of three pediatric endocri nologists, one psychologist, two diabetes nurses and two dietitians. Despit e a mean 10% reduction in insulin dosage and 10% increment in daily calorie intake at the beginning of the camp, hypoglycemia was common (mean, 2.4 hy poglycemic episodes per subject). Ketoacidosis was not encountered in any o f the subjects during and after camps. An increment in weight in children w hose weights, with respect to heights, were under the ideal weight and a de crement in weight of overweight children were observed at the end of the fi rst camp. A significant improvement in knowledge and self-management of the disease was noted at the end of the camps. Improvement in nutrition and di abetic knowledge level of the children who participated in these consecutiv e camps was more obvious in the second compared with that in the first camp . No significant change in HbA1c level was observed at follow-up. In conclu sion, summer camps are an invaluable way for diabetic children to gain skil ls in managing their disease.