How is hypoglycemia treated in children?
Pediatric hypoglycemia treatment depends on the cause and the seriousness of the condition.
In most mild cases, your child can bring their blood sugar level up by eating or drinking something sugary such as candy, juice or glucose tablets. They can then keep their blood sugar stable by eating regularly. They should get balanced nutrition that includes complex carbohydrates, fat and protein.
Children and adolescents with diabetes will also need to test their blood sugar often. They should learn to recognize the early symptoms of hypoglycemia so they can treat it quickly.
When hypoglycemia is severe, your child needs immediate medical treatment. They may need an injection of the hormone glucagon, which can bring their glucose levels up quickly. This is important if your child can't eat or drink because of a seizure or loss of consciousness. We may prescribe a glucagon kit to your family to keep on hand for such emergencies. If we hospitalize your child, we may provide glucose intravenously (through a tube into their vein) to keep them stable.
If hypoglycemia happens to your child often, we will try to determine why. Some families may need to improve their diabetes management. We may recommend changes to your child's diet or medicine, or work with your child to better manage their diabetes.
When your child has a different reason for their hypoglycemia, we will work with you to manage that problem. We may recommend changes to your child’s lifestyle or medicine, depending on their needs.
Why choose Children's Hospital Colorado for your child's hypoglycemia treatment?
Here at Children's Colorado, each child is an individual. We carefully consider your child’s unique medical condition, overall health and emotional well-being in our assessments. We then work with your family to determine the best course of treatment for your child. Sometimes, your child may not need any treatment, but rather close observation of their blood sugar levels and health.
Our multidisciplinary care team includes experts in pediatric endocrinology, as well as related specialties from throughout our hospital including nutrition, mental health and diabetes education. We provide a full range of medical, radiologic and surgical therapies, as well as medical support for our patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.