Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 17, 2025
Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform
Published on: April 12, 2021
Pre-school and school-aged children benefit from the switch from a sensor-augmented pump to an AndroidAPS hybrid
Lenka Petruzelkova1, Pavlina Jiranova1, Jan Soupal2
1Department of Pediatrics, Motol University Hospital and 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Insights
The AndroidAPS system improved glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes, increasing time in range and reducing HbA1c levels without severe adverse events. This do-it-yourself automated insulin delivery shows promise for pediatric T1D management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Diabetes Technology
Background:
- Limited data exists on closed-loop systems for young children with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
- Evaluating novel automated insulin delivery (AID) systems is crucial for improving pediatric diabetes management.
- Do-it-yourself (DIY) AID systems offer potential alternatives for T1D management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy and safety of the open-source AndroidAPS AID system in preschool and school-aged children with T1D.
- To compare glycemic control parameters before and after switching to AndroidAPS.
- To evaluate adverse events, reasons for interruption, and psychosocial benefits associated with AndroidAPS use.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 36 children (18 preschool, 18 school-aged) with T1D switching from sensor-augmented pump (SAP) to AndroidAPS.
- Comparison of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) parameters and HbA1c levels 3 months pre- and 6 months post-AndroidAPS initiation.
- Evaluation of severe adverse events, interruption reasons, and user experience.
Main Results:
- Significant improvement in overall glycemic control was observed after switching to AndroidAPS.
- Time in range (TIR) increased in both age groups (preschool: 70.8%-78.6%; school-aged: 77.2%-82.9%).
- HbA1c levels decreased significantly (preschool: 53.8-48.5 mmol/mol; school-aged: 52.6-45.1 mmol/mol), with no increase in severe hypoglycemia or DKA.
- Quality of life significantly improved for AndroidAPS users.
Conclusions:
- AndroidAPS demonstrates effectiveness in improving T1D control for both preschool and school-aged children.
- The system appears safe, with no severe adverse events reported.
- Further validation through prospective studies is recommended to confirm these findings.
Objective:
Data on closed loop systems in young children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are limited. We tested the efficacy and safety of an open-source, do-it-yourself automated insulin delivery system AndroidAPS in preschool and school-aged children.
Research Design And Methods:
This retrospective study analyzed diabetes control in 18 preschool (3-7 years) and 18 school-aged children (8-14 years) with T1D who switched from a sensor-augmented pump (SAP) to AndroidAPS. We compared the CGM parameters and HbA1c levels 3 months before and 6 months after the initiation of AndroidAPS therapy and evaluated frequency of severe adverse events during AndroidAPS use, the most frequent reasons for its interruption, and the experience and psychosocial benefits of AndroidAPS use.
Results:
General glycemic control was significantly improved after the switch from SAP to AndroidAPS. Time in range (TIR) increased in both preschool (70.8%-78.6%, p = 0.004) and school-aged children (77.2%-82.9%, p < 0.001), whereas HbA1c levels decreased (preschool children 53.8-48.5 mmol/mol, p < 0.001; school-aged children 52.6-45.1 mmol/mol, p = 0.001). Time spent in range of 3.0-3.8 mmol/L increased slightly in school children (2.6%-3.8%, p = 0.040), but not in preschool children (3.0%-3.0%, p = 0.913). Time spent at <3 mmol/L remained unchanged in both preschool (0.95%-0.67%, p = 0.432) and school-aged children (0.8%-0.8%, p = 1.000). No episodes of severe hypoglycemia or DKA and significant improvement of quality of life were reported by AndroidAPS users.
Conclusions:
AndroidAPS seems effective for T1D control both in preschool and school-age children but further validation by prospective studies is necessary.
