Diabetes Program

The Diabetes Program at St. Louis Children's Hospital provides patients and their families a comprehensive approach to diabetes treatment for type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and other rare forms of diabetes such as neonatal diabetes, cystic fibrosis-related diabetes and maturity onset diabetes of the young. Our mission is to provide patient care, teaching and research in all aspects of pediatric diabetes – from infants to young adults. The goal of research is to improve therapies for patients and find a cure for diabetes.

Our history

The Department of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children's Hospital have been at the forefront of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes research since the 1920s. St. Louis Children's Hospital was the first pediatric institution in the United States to utilize insulin to treat children with diabetes mellitus.

Beginning in the late 1960's, we were one of the first pediatric programs in the country to combine patient care, research and training efforts across endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. This approach has now become a standard format at other pediatric academic medical centers.

Service highlights

As the metro area's largest pediatric diabetes program, the Diabetes Team sees more than 150 new patients each year, and cares for more than 1,100 patients. Patients visit us from Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Kentucky for treatment. Service highlights:

• Convenient access for patients and families is a program hallmark. We provide 24-hour access to our Diabetes Team members should a question or problem occur, and our Outpatient Diabetes Clinics are available at St. Louis Children's Hospital, St. Louis Children's Hospital Specialty Care Center, South County Washington University Multispecialty Center, and the Memorial Hospital East Medical Building.
• St. Louis Children's Hospital is the only pediatric hospital in St. Louis and one of two pediatric facilities in the state of Missouri recognized by the American Diabetes Association for excellence in diabetes education.