Wash your hands.
Choose the injection site according to your child's site rotation plan (see below for more on site rotation).
Check the insulin carefully. Rapid- and short-acting insulins should look clear. Intermediate- and long-acting insulins should look cloudy, with no clumps or crystals. Insulin that looks different than usual could be too old or spoiled. Throw it out and start a new bottle.
If you're using intermediate- or long-acting insulin, roll the insulin bottle between your hands to mix the insulin evenly. Don't shake the bottle, as shaking can make the insulin clump together. Rapid- and short-acting (clear) insulin does not need to be mixed.
Check how many units you need to inject. Then pull back the plunger to draw that amount of air into the syringe.
Hold the insulin bottle upright and push the needle into the top of the bottle. Push the plunger to put air into the bottle. Keep the needle in the bottle.
Holding the needle in the bottle, turn the bottle upside-down. Then pull out the plunger to measure out a bit more insulin than you actually need.
With the needle still in the bottle (and the bottle still upside-down), tap the side of the syringe gently. Any air bubbles will rise to the top. Then push the plunger in just enough to get rid of the air and the extra insulin. You should now have just the right amount of insulin in the syringe and no air bubbles. Double-check to make sure you have the right amount of insulin. Then take the needle out of the bottle.
With one hand, gently pinch about an inch of skin at the injection site. Pinching ensures that you don't inject into a muscle. Injecting into muscle can be much more painful for your child and it changes the amount of time it takes the insulin to work.
With your other hand, hold the syringe like a pencil. Look at the needle to make sure it's angled correctly for injection. (The doctor or diabetes educator can show you the correct angle.)
Gently stick the needle in under the skin at the correct angle. Press the plunger with your thumb in a gentle, steady motion until the insulin is gone. Talk to your child about whether injecting the insulin a little slower or a little faster may be more comfortable for him.
When the syringe is empty, pull out the needle at the same angle you put it in. Press the injection site gently for a few seconds to prevent the insulin from leaking.
Wash your hands.
Choose the injection site according to your child's site rotation plan (see below for more on site rotation).
Check the insulin carefully. Rapid- and short-acting insulin should look clear. Intermediate- and long-acting insulin should look cloudy, with no clumps or crystals. Insulin that looks different than usual can be too old or spoiled. Throw it out and start a new bottle.
Roll intermediate- or long-acting insulin bottle between your hands to mix the insulin evenly. Don't shake the bottle, as shaking can make the insulin clump together. Rapid- and short-acting (clear) insulin doesn't need to be mixed.
Check how many units of intermediate- or long-acting (cloudy) insulin you need to inject. Then pull back the plunger to that number of units to draw air into the syringe.
Hold the intermediate- or long-acting (cloudy) insulin bottle upright. Push the needle into the top of the bottle. Push the plunger to put air into the bottle. Take the syringe out of the bottle
Check how many units of rapid- or short-acting (clear) insulin you need to inject. Then pull back the plunger to that number of units. Now your syringe has air in it again.
Hold the rapid- or short-acting (clear) insulin bottle upright. Push the needle into the top of the bottle. Push the plunger to put the air into the bottle. Keep the needle in the bottle
While holding the needle in the bottle, turn the bottle upside-down. Then pull out the plunger to measure out a bit more rapid- or short-acting insulin than you actually need.
With the needle still in the bottle (and the bottle still upside-down), tap the side of the syringe gently. Any air bubbles will rise to the top. Then push the plunger in just enough to get rid of the air and the extra insulin. You should now have just the right amount of rapid- or short-acting insulin in the syringe. Double-check to make sure and then take the needle out of the bottle.
Stick the needle in the top of the bottle of intermediate- or long-acting (cloudy) insulin. Turn the bottle and syringe upside down. Pull out the plunger to measure out the exact amount of intermediate- or long-acting insulin that you need.
With the needle still in the bottle (and the bottle still upside-down), tap the side of the syringe gently. Any air bubbles will rise to the top. If you can get air bubbles out without pushing out insulin, do so. If there are large air bubbles, you'll have to toss the syringe and start over. Pushing out large air bubbles at this stage will change the insulin dose in the syringe, and injecting large air bubbles into the body is dangerous.
Double-check that you have the right amount of intermediate- or long -acting insulin in the syringe and then take the needle out of the bottle.
With one hand, gently pinch about an inch of skin at the injection site. Pinching ensures that you don't inject into a muscle. Injecting into muscle can be much more painful to your child, and it changes the amount of time it takes for the insulin to work.
With your other hand, hold the syringe like a pencil. Look at the needle to make sure it's at angled correctly for injection. (The doctor or diabetes educator can show you the correct angle.)
Gently stick the needle in under the skin at the correct angle. Press the plunger with your thumb in a gentle, steady motion until the insulin is gone. Talk to your child about whether injecting the insulin a little slower or a little faster may be more comfortable for him.
When the syringe is empty, pull out the needle at the same angle you put it in. Press the injection site gently for a few seconds to prevent the insulin from leaking.
