Sick days with Type 1 are a different sport. Appetite disappears, ketones show up, and the normal food plan falls apart. The families who sleep better already have a bin or bag ready – before anyone throws up at 2 a.m.
This is a parent packing list for a sick-day kit at home and on trips. It is not a treatment protocol. Your care team should give you a sick-day plan for checking ketones, fluids, insulin, and when to go to urgent care or the ER.
Not medical advice. Every kid and care plan is different. Check with your diabetes care team before changing how you manage T1D, and always follow their sick-day, dosing, and device instructions.
This page may contain affiliate links. Please see the affiliate disclosure for more details.
Travel-focused version: Sick day kit for travel with T1D.
What we prioritize packing
- Ketone testing – know what your insurance covers (blood vs urine) and keep strips that are not expired
- Hydration and easy carbs – when solid food will not stay down
- Low treatments that do not need chewing – gels, melts, liquids your kid will accept when miserable
- Comfort and fever items – only use medications as directed for your child’s age and by your clinician
Prescription anti-nausea (like ondansetron / Zofran) is care-team only. We do not list homeopathic products as substitutes for prescription meds.
Ketones
If you have health insurance, review your plan’s prescription formulary (the list of covered medications and supplies) to see which specific brands or types of blood/urine ketone test strips are covered.
