Barbie launches first doll with type 1 diabetes
A new Barbie doll has been launched with type 1 diabetes ‘to enable more children to see themselves’.
Listen to this article
Mattel's new model has been designed with an insulin pump and glucose monitor (CGM), the latest addition to a range it says has been designed “to enable more children to see themselves reflected and encourage doll play that extends beyond a child’s lived experience”.
The Barbie doll is being advertised as having type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition where the body attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin.
Designed in partnership with the global type 1 diabetes not-for-profit Breakthrough T1D, the doll's CGM is kept in place with heart-shaped medical tape.
Barbie also carries a mobile phone with a CGM app to help track her blood sugar levels throughout the day.
Read more: Doctors against Palantir’s NHS software put ‘ideology over patient interest’
The doll wears an insulin pump, providing Barbie with automated insulin dosing as needed, and holds a bag big enough for any essentials such as snacks that she might need while out and about.
Krista Berger, senior vice-president of Barbie and global head of dolls, said it marked “an important step in our commitment to inclusivity and representation”.
“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.”
Karen Addington, CEO of Breakthrough T1D UK, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that Barbie now includes a doll with type 1 diabetes. For children with T1D who don’t often see themselves represented, this doll will be a powerful role model, celebrating their strength and bringing recognition, inclusion, and joy to their play.”
Today there are more than 175 different Barbie looks in the fashionistas range, with various skin tones, eye colours, and hair colours.
There are also Barbies representing various disabilities, such as blindness, Down’s syndrome, and vitiligo.
Arjun Panesar, founding chief executive of diabetes.co.uk, said: “Representation matters – especially in childhood. Seeing a Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes helps normalise the condition, reduce stigma and show children that they are not alone.
“It’s a positive step forward in building confidence, inclusion and understanding around living with diabetes.”