Hypoglycemia in children
Hypoglycemia in children is by no means 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 exercise or stress.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia always manifest in a similar way, regardless of the causes of its occurrence. The child has lethargy, drowsiness, irritability, pallor, sweating, hunger and heart rhythm disturbances. If you measure blood sugar, the readings are most often less than 2,2 mmol / l.
Hypoglycemia is very dangerous for both children and adults. It leads to metabolic disorders, causes headaches, incoordination, convulsions and fainting. Frequent bouts of hypoglycemia adversely affect both the mental and physical development of children.
Often, hypoglycemia can have similar symptoms to other diseases, so the child must have a medical examination. The younger the child, the more sensitive his nerve cells are to jumps 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, impaired vision, concentration and coordination; convulsions, loss of consciousness, tachycardia and severe hunger.
There are two main causes of hypoglycemia in children: 1) an increased concentration of ketone bodies in the blood; 2) intolerance to the leucine amino acid.
Hypoglycemia in 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 wash the stomach with a solution of soda and mineral water, provide him with plenty of fluids, and induce vomiting. To compensate for the loss of glucose in the blood, you can give a teaspoon of honey or a tablet of glutamic acid.
After a hypoglycemic attack, it is imperative to monitor the condition of the child, measure the level of sugar in the blood; urine should be tested for the presence of ketone bodies.
The main way to treat hypoglycemia in children is a balanced diet. Animal fats and other simple carbohydrates should be excluded 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, intolerance to the leucine amino acid, which is a protein component, 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 leucitin (fish, nuts, pasta). Parents of a child suffering from leucine hypoglycemia should consult a doctor who will help to make the right diet.
It must be remembered: the sooner the symptoms of hypoglycemia are detected in a child and its causes are identified, the more successful the outcome of treatment will be. The hypoglycemic state in young children can lead to serious complications, so you need to carefully monitor the content of glucose in the blood and its stability.