Background Age‐specific preventive interventions by exploiting age‐appropriate means are needed to effectively support adolescents with type 1 diabetes in facing illness and developmental‐related difficulties. The provision of social support through a content analysis of messages posted on online conversations was examined. Methods Participants and moderators' messages posted to an Italian online chat group for adolescents with type 1 diabetes were content analyzed using a social support behavior coding system. Results Of 250 adolescents approached (aged 12‐18), 161 (64.4%) agreed to participate. Seventeen thousand twenty‐five individual posts (10 735 written by participants, 6290 by moderators) from 37 chat sessions were examined. Topics concerned management of the disease, diabetes‐related problems, nutrition, and the emotional impact of diabetes. Social support was found in 30.64% of the messages (N = 5215). The frequency of supporting messages posted by participants was significantly higher than those written by moderators (X 2 = 20.025, P < .0001). Participants most frequently offered emotional (79.97%) and information support (16.21%), while moderators presented information (52.89%) and emotional support (34.56%). Conclusions How posting messages in an online group provides an opportunity for adolescents with type 1 diabetes to support each other and help health professionals to learn about the experiences of young individuals is discussed.

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Objective: Transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM) is caused by activating mutations in ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes (KATP/TNDM) or by chromosome 6q24 abnormalities (6q24/TNDM). We wanted to assess whether these different genetic aetiologies result in distinct clinical features. Design: Retrospective analysis of the Italian data set of patients with TNDM. Methods: Clinical features and treatment of 22 KATP/ TNDM patients and 12 6q24/TNDM patients were compared. Results: Fourteen KATP/TNDM probands had a carrier parent with abnormal glucose values, four patients with 6q24 showed macroglossia and/or umbilical hernia. Median age at diabetes onset and birth weight were lower in patients with 6q24 (1 week; -2.27 SD) than those with KATP mutations (4.0 weeks; -1.04 SD) (p=0.009 and p=0.007, respectively). Median time to remission was longer in KATP/TNDM than 6q24/TNDM (21.5 vs 12 weeks) (p=0.002). Two KATP/TNDM patients entered diabetes remission without pharmacological therapy. A proband with the ABCC8/L225P variant previously associated with permanent neonatal diabetes entered 7-year long remission after 1 year of sulfonylurea therapy. Seven diabetic individuals with KATP mutations were successfully treated with sulfonylurea monotherapy; four cases with relapsing 6q24/TNDM were treated with insulin, metformin or combination therapy. Conclusions: If TNDM is suspected, KATP genes should be analyzed first with the exception of patients with macroglossia and/or umbilical hernia. Remission of diabetes without pharmacological therapy should not preclude genetic analysis. Early treatment with sulfonylurea may induce long-lasting remission of diabetes in patients with KATP mutations associated with PNDM. Adult patients carrying KATP/TNDM mutations respond favourably to sulfonylurea monotherapy.

During the neonatal period, the use of CSII therapy is safe, more physiological, accurate and easier for the insulin administration management. Furthermore, CSII therapy is safe during the switch of therapy from insulin to glibenclamide for infants with permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus.