Patient Education
What is hypoglycemia in children?
Hypoglycemia is the state of having a blood sugar level that is too low to effectively fuel the body's cells.
What is a healthy range of blood glucose in children?
The normal range of blood glucose throughout the day and night is approximately 70 to 150 mg/dl.
Why is hypoglycemia a concern?
The brain depends on glucose, and too little can impair its ability to function. Severe or prolonged hypoglycemia could result in seizures and serious brain injury.
What are Causes of Hypogycemia?
The vast majority of episodes of hypoglycemia in children and adolescents occur when a child with diabetes takes too much insulin and/or eats too little or exercises strenuously or for a prolonged period of time.
Recurrent episodes:
- accelerated starvation, also known as “ketotic hypoglycemia”
- medications your child may be taking
- a congenital (present at birth) error in metabolism or an unusual disorder such as hypopituitarism or hyperinsulinism.
Other causes of hypoglycemia in children are rare.
What are the Symptoms of hypoglycemia in children
While each child may experience symptoms of hypoglycemia differently, the most common include:
- shakiness
- dizziness
- sweating
- hunger
- headache
- irritability
- pale skin color
- sudden moodiness or behavior changes, such as crying for no apparent reason
- clumsy or jerky movements
Can hypoglycemia be prevented?
This depends on the cause, but many episodes of hypoglycemia can be prevented by making sure your child eats frequent meals and snacks throughout the day and has something to eat before going to bed. If your child eats little at dinner, a hearty snack before bedtime (such as a glass of milk and peanut butter on toast) will keep his blood sugar levels stable throughout the night.
- Hypoglycemia is most common in newborns.
- In older children, it’s most often seen as a complication of insulin therapy for diabetes, but can sometimes have other causes as well.
- In the majority of cases, hypoglycemia is temporary, easily treated, and usually does not have serious consequences.
- There are several rare disorders in which hypoglycemia is recurrent and potentially life-threatening. However, with timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment, these can be effectively managed.