Barbie releases doll with type 1 diabetes as diagnoses rise among US children
New doll comes with glucose monitor, insulin pump amid growing diabetes rates
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A new doll is living her best life with type 1 diabetes.
The first Barbie doll of its kind was announced on Tuesday with a vision of enabling more children to "see themselves reflected in Barbie" while encouraging "doll play that extends beyond a child’s own lived experience," according to a Mattel Inc. press release.
The doll comes complete with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that she wears on her arm.
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It's kept in place with pink, heart-shaped medical tape, as well as a phone displaying a CGM app to help track blood sugar levels.
The new Barbie also comes with an insulin pump attached to her waist, which allows for automated insulin dosing as needed.
Mattel has released the first-ever type 1 diabetes Barbie doll. (Mattel Inc. / Fox News)
Her blue polka-dot outfit and purse represent global symbols of diabetes awareness.
"Introducing a Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes marks an important step in our commitment to inclusivity and representation," Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls, said in a press release.
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"Barbie helps shape children’s early perceptions of the world, and by reflecting medical conditions like T1D, we ensure more kids can see themselves in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love."
Barbie partnered with Breakthrough T1D, formerly JDRF – the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization – to develop the doll accurately, the company said.
Barbie's first type 1 diabetes doll is available online and in stores. (Mattel Inc. / Fox News)
Dr. Dyan Hes, pediatrician and medical director of Highline Modern Medicine in New York, told Fox News Digital that in her view, the new Barbie doll is "fantastic."
Said Hes, "It normalizes having an insulin pump and wearing a glucose monitor. It makes it less scary for both the patient and the community. This Barbie also carries a little bag for snacks, something that children with diabetes often need."
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Hes added that decreasing the stigma of having a chronic illness is "so important for children who often feel isolated in their healthcare journey … With an increasing incidence of T1D, this Barbie will make children with the illness feel more included," she said.
The new Barbie arrives as numbers of type 1 diabetes cases among America’s youth are on the rise.
Type 1 diabetes prevalence could rise by 65% by 2060, CDC research says. (iStock / iStock)
CDC data indicates that 304,000 kids and adolescents under 20 years old had a type 1 diabetes diagnosis in 2021.
From 2017 to 2018, the annual incidence of diagnosed diabetes in young people was estimated at 18,200 with type 1 diabetes, the American Diabetes Association reports.
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More than 38 million Americans of all ages, nearly 12%, have diabetes.
The CDC confirmed in 2024 that diabetes in young people is "on the rise," and will continue to increase for the next several decades.
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If new diagnoses continue to rise at current numbers, type 1 diabetes cases would increase by 65% by 2060, according to the CDC study.
Type 2 diabetes cases would increase by about 700%.