Does oral terbutaline prevent asymptomatic nocturnal hypoglycaemia in children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in a clinical setting?

INTERVENTION: Twenty‐five diabetic children will be recruited from the population attending the diabetes clinic in Sheffield. They will be visited at home on three separate occasions by a diabetes research nurse. Following either placebo or one of two doses of terbutaline at bedtime, their blood sugar will be measured every half hour overnight whilst they sleep. Blood samples will be taken from a cannula sited in a vein on the back of the hand after application of an anaesthetic cream. The day before and the day after the overnight study, each child will be asked to do several finger prick glucose measurements using both their usual glucose meter and dried blood spots on to paper. The child's routine should be only minimally disrupted. CONDITION: Diabetes ; Nutritional, Metabolic, Endocrine ; Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus PRIMARY OUTCOME: The main outcome measures are:; 1. Differences in the number of nights when hypoglycaemia occurs between placebo and terbutaline treatment; 2. The effect on blood sugar assessed by comparing the children's home blood glucose measurements before/after the bedtime dose SECONDARY OUTCOME: Not provided at time of registration INCLUSION CRITERIA: Twenty‐five diabetic children will be recruited from the population attending the diabetes clinic in Sheffield