Older children and teenagers with type 1 diabetes may manage the condition better if they have a pet to look after, a new study suggests.

Type 1 diabetes only accounts for 5-10% of all cases of diabetes, with type 2 accounting for the majority of the rest. However, diabetes in childhood is usually type 1. In fact, it is one of the most common chronic illnesses seen in childhood, with an estimated 3,000 young people under the age of 16 currently living with the condition in Ireland.

According to US researchers, when it comes to type 1 diabetes, teenagers ‘are one of the most difficult patient populations to treat, mainly because of the many psychosocial factors associated with that stage of life'.

"We learned that instructing families to associate regular pet fish care with the child's standard diabetes care significantly improved their haemoglobin A1C levels," they noted.

An A1C test is a simple blood test that provides a measure of long-term glucose control over a period of up to three months. A healthy A1C level shows that the condition is under control and the person is less likely to develop complications.

This study focused on 28 young people aged between 10 and 17. Some of the participants were provided with a pet fish, a fish bowl and care instructions. They were recommended to set the fish bowl up in their bedroom and were instructed to feed it every morning and every evening, while at the same time, checking their blood glucose levels.

They were also asked to change one-quarter of the bowl's water once a week and review their blood glucose logs with an adult.

The study found that after three months, the young people who had been given a fish to look after had reduced their A1C levels, while those who did not have a fish to look after recorded an increase in their levels.

The greatest benefit appeared to be among those aged between 10 and 13.

"Children in this age group are often beginning to seek independence from their parents, and were more eager to care for the fish than some of the older adolescents," the researchers from Texas said.

One mother of a 12-year-old noted that her son ‘didn't even realise that he was talking about his diabetes more and checking his blood sugar more often'.

"I would recommend this approach to other families because it creates ownership not just of the fish, but ownership of your diabetes. When you own it, diabetes doesn't own you," she added.

The researchers now plan to study a group of teenagers for a longer period of time and assess other factors which may play a role, such as the type of pet and level of parental involvement.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, The Diabetes Educator.