Barbie With Diabetes Added to Toy Range

The newest addition to the Barbie range of dolls has diabetes, and features a glucose monitor and insulin pump, along with a blue polka-dot top and skirt. (colours and design used around the world to represent diabetes awareness)

The new doll was launched last week by Lila Moss, a 22-year-old model who has diabetes, as part of a drive to increase representation by toy manufacturer Mattel.

It’s great to see autoimmune conditions represented in such a mainstream part of popular culture, so hats off to Mattel and their partnership with Breakthrough T1D for highlighting the use of a life-saving continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to manage the effects of type 1 diabetes.

How Does a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) Work?

A continuous glucose monitor works by using a small sensor under the skin, to measure glucose levels in the fluid between cells. These readings are transmitted to a receiver, most commonly now a smartphone app, and can even alert the user of any irregular (high or low) levels.

This is particularly important for people with diabetes, as they can understand their glucose levels and how they respond to food, exercise, and medication. Some real-time CGMs provide readings every few minutes, while other require a conscious decision to take a reading.

Regulatory Approval for Medical Devices

It did spark some conversations here at Medtechtomarket about the rigorous FDA approval process that all medical devices have to go through. We can only imagine Barbie and Ken working hard through:

Device Classification
Quality Management System (QMS)
Technical Documentation
Clinical Evaluation
Post-Market Surveillance (PMS)
Incident Reporting
Labelling and Instructions for Use
Conformity Assessment
Registration/Notification
UKCA Marking and more!