Endocrinology

Diabetes, Growth, and Hormones

Our team provides consultations as well as long-term care for children with diabetes, endocrine disease, developmental endocrinology and weight management.

The pediatric diabetes self-management education program at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital has been recognized by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for meeting national standards for providing diabetes education to patients and families.

• Learn more about our advances in pediatric diabetes research.

Self-management is key to an effective diabetes treatment plan, and education programs help young patients and their parents learn how to a test the patient’s blood glucose levels; take insulin or diabetes medications; and select and maintain a proper diet.

The diabetes education program at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital includes one-on-one education classes for families with a newly diagnosed patient, as well as group sessions on insulin pump therapy and daily living with diabetes. Doctors, nurses, dieticians, and social services staff members work together to provide measurable goals, practices, and evaluation of the program for each patient and family in the outpatient setting.

Our specialties include treating children with symptoms or conditions that include:

• Diabetes mellitus
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Disorders of physical growth (short stature, tall stature)
• Sexual maturation (early puberty, later puberty)
• Thyroid function (hypothyroidism, goiter)
• Pituitary function
• Adrenal function
• Calcium and phosphorus metabolism
• Weight management (obesity)
• Excessive hair in girls (hirsutism)
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Evaluation of excessive weight gain
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Diabetes Insipidus
• Congenital problems affecting genital development
• Problems related to high dose steroid therapy

Additional Services We Offer

• Body fat analysis
• Insulin pump education
• Continuous glucose monitoring in diabetes
• Diabetes management through education video DVD and manual
• Outreach clinics for diabetes and endocrine disorders
• 24 hour on-call services
• Diagnostic Services:
  Hormone stimulation tests to assess secretion of growth hormone, cortisol, puberty hormones, glucose and insulin, and water balance.
• Consultative Services:
  Consultative services are provided to primary care providers for abnormal congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and congenital hypothyroidism (CH) results identified through the Iowa Neonatal Metabolic Screening Program (INMSP).
• Dibetic Education:
  We offer one-on-one diabetic education classes for newly diagnosed families, diabetes refresher classes, and group pre-pump classes and insulin pump therapy. Hemoglobin A1C results are available in six minutes, which allows discussion at appointments.
• Clinical Trials