Hypoglycemia - Hypoglycemia In Children

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Hypoglycemia in children

Hypoglycemia in children

Hypoglycemia in children is not at all uncommon. Especially often it can occur due to various diseases of the endocrine, nervous and other systems. In healthy children, hypoglycemia can be caused by an unbalanced diet, intense physical activity or stress.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia always appear in a similar way, regardless of the cause of its occurrence. The child has lethargy, drowsiness, irritability, pallor, sweating, hunger, and irregular heartbeats. If you measure your blood sugar, the reading is most often less than 2.2 mmol / L.

Hypoglycemia is very dangerous for both children and adults. It leads to metabolic disorders, headaches, impaired coordination, convulsions and fainting. Frequent bouts of hypoglycemia negatively affect both the mental and physical development of children.

Often, hypoglycemia can have similar symptoms to other diseases, so the child must undergo a medical examination. The younger the child, the more sensitive his nerve cells are to surges in blood glucose levels, so hypoglycemia can cause dangerous CNS damage, epilepsy or mental retardation.

In older children, hypoglycemia manifests itself with the same symptoms as in adults: anxiety, pallor, chills, blurred vision, concentration and coordination; convulsions, loss of consciousness, tachycardia and severe hunger.

There are two main causes of hypoglycemia in children: 1) increased concentration of ketone bodies in the blood; 2) intolerance to leucine amino acids.

Hypoglycemia with acidosis

In children with hypoglycemia, ketone bodies (acetone) are produced in the blood. This can be determined by the characteristic smell of acetone from the mouth. Acetone is very toxic, and the human nervous system is negatively affected: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and fainting may occur.

In case of acidosis, the child needs to rinse the stomach with a solution of soda and mineral water, provide it with plenty of drink, induce vomiting. To replenish the loss of blood glucose, you can give a teaspoon of honey or a glutamic acid tablet.

After a hypoglycemic attack, it is imperative to monitor the child's condition, measure the blood sugar level; urine should be tested for ketone bodies.

The main treatment for hypoglycemia in children is a balanced diet. It is necessary to exclude animal fats and other simple carbohydrates from the child's diet. It is better to give preference to dairy products, seafood, vegetables, fruits and fruit juices. You need to eat about seven times a day in small portions.

Leucine hypoglycemia

Sometimes, due to congenital metabolic disorders in children, an intolerance to the leucine amino acid, which is a component of protein, is developed. This phenomenon is called leucine hypoglycemia, and it manifests itself in young children in the form of seizures after eating protein-rich foods. A spoonful of honey or jam can improve the condition of a sick child.

The diet required for leucine hypoglycemia is much more difficult to follow, since the developing child's body needs protein. Milk and eggs are excluded from the diet, as well as foods rich in lecithin (fish, nuts, pasta). Parents of a child suffering from leucine hypoglycemia should see a doctor who can help them diet.

It must be remembered: the earlier the symptoms of hypoglycemia are found in a child and its causes are identified, the more successful the treatment outcome will be. A hypoglycemic state in young children can lead to serious complications, so you need to carefully monitor the blood glucose level and its stability.

The author of the article: Sokolova Praskovya Fedorovna | Pediatrician

Education: Diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received at the Volgograd State Medical University. A specialist certificate was immediately received in 2014.