How does growth spurts or puberty affect insulin absorption or needs?
Growth and puberty don’t affect insulin absorption, but insulin needs can increase dramatically. Growth hormone, pubertal hormones, and increases in body size create insulin resistance; the body is not as sensitive to insulin as it was previously. As a result, more basal insulin is needed, more mealtime insulin is needed to cover the same amount of carbs, and more correction insulin is needed to fix highs. Add to this the fact that kids tend to develop some blood-sugar-challenging habits during puberty: erratic sleep patterns, “grazing” type snacking behaviors, emotional swings, and so on. My advice is to roll with the changes (adjust insulin frequently), but take your expectations down just a bit, or you’ll find yourself in a constant state of disappointment.
