In a scientific breakthrough, a 4-year-old Australian boy has become the first patient in the world to be fitted with an artificial pancreas.
Xavier Hames has Type 1 diabetes and is at constant risk of hypoglycemia – when low glucose levels can result in seizures, coma or death. But Hames was fitted with a pancreas-like pump that can identify when sugar levels are low and stop the release of insulin.
Professor Tim Jones from Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth, Australia said that the device would make life a lot easier for the parents of children with Type 1 diabetes, especially at night, when the risk of hypoglycemia is higher.