INTERNATIONAL experts say that this year more than 70,000 youngsters under the age of 15 will develop type 1 diabetes worldwide - equivalent to 200 new cases a day.

Young people with diabetes are being encouraged to manage their lifelong condition by rewarding them for doing regular blood tests - with a glucose meter that gives out points on handheld computer games.

The Didget glucose "games meter" offers play with purpose to persuade youngsters to monitor their blood glucose regularly, to begin to view regular testing as "fun" and meet their glucose target ranges.

To help them cope with that, the Didget is the first and only blood-glucose meter for young diabetics that connects directly to Nintendo DS and DS Lite gaming systems, says the meter's developer, Bayer Diabetes Care of the UK.

Building on 40 years of experience, Bayer says it is transforming how youngsters engage in their diabetes management by tapping into their existing passion for handheld gaming.

"One of the biggest challenges facing parents of children with diabetes is the constant struggle to instil the habit of regular blood-glucose testing that is critical for consistent diabetes management," said John Gregory, professor in paediatric endocrinology at the Wales School of Medicine at Cardiff University, Wales.

"Bayer's Didget meter can help ease the parent/child tension that testing often creates by adding an element of fun and rewards to the routine. Because it is designed with children in mind, the meter can transform a child's blood-glucose testing experience from something they have to do into something they want to do," he added.

The glucose meter positively reinforces consistent testing habits by awarding points that youngsters can use to unlock new game levels and customise their gaming experience.

Sandra Peterson, head of Bayer Medical Care, said: "The Didget meter is a revolutionary development in healthcare management. Up until now, blood-glucose monitors have been created with adults in mind.

"This product was inspired by a parent of a child with diabetes, to directly address the challenges facing children with diabetes and their parents. Bayer's Didget meter offers play with purpose to encourage children to regularly monitor their blood glucose and begin to view regular testing as fun."

The meter, intended for use by children aged 5-14, will also connect to Bayer's Didget World (www.bayerdidget.co.uk), a password-protected web community where youngsters can spend points that they earn from consistent monitoring practices and create their own page.

The meter comes with Knock ‘Em Downs: World's Fair, that includes a full-length adventure game and mini game arcade. The Didget is based on Bayer's trusted Contour system and uses the same technology and test strips, providing the same fast and easy accuracy.

Latest figures from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) show that the number of under-15 youngsters with type 1 diabetes is growing by 3-5 per cent annually. The IDF says that 440,000 children now live with type 1 globally.

The IDF estimates that more than 250 million people around the world have diabetes. This figure is expected to rise to 380m within 20 years. Each year a further 7m people develop diabetes. Of these, 4.9m have type 1 diabetes - the most common chronic disease in children in developed countries.

Bayer Diabetes Care UK is working in partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the UK; five pounds from the sale of every meter will be donated to the foundation.

In people with type 1 diabetes, the body makes little or no insulin and they need to take insulin for the rest of their lives. Type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed in adults although, increasingly, children are being diagnosed with this condition.

Type 2 is associated with obesity, a family history of diabetes, a history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose metabolism, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. In people with type 2, the body does not make enough insulin or the body is unable to use the insulin effectively.

Bayer HealthCare Diabetes Care supports customers in 100 countries and stands in a long tradition of leading the way in diabetes care product innovation. The face of diabetes care was changed in 1969 when the first portable blood-glucose meter and test strips were introduced.