Hypoglycemia, low blood sugar, most often affects children younger than 10 and persons who take insulin for diabetes. Glucose, a vital fuel for your body, comes from foods such as bread, potatoes, fruit, cereal and milk as well as from table sugar, syrup and commercial baked goods. If a child cannot properly digest glucose, hypoglycemia may result. Changes in diet can help regulate hypoglycemia.
Types of Hypoglycemia
If you take insulin to control high blood sugar levels, your blood sugar levels may sometimes fall too low. Two types of hypoglycemia -- reactive and ketotic -- may affect people without diabetes. Reactive hypoglycemia occurs when your body overreacts to carbohydrates. Some quickly-digested foods such as sugar and sweet desserts cause a sudden burst of glucose to enter your bloodstream. Most people's bodies adjust smoothly. People with reactive hypoglycemia respond dramatically and reduce their blood sugar too much. Ketotic, or fasting hypoglycemia, is caused by certain medications, insulin producing tumors, hormone deficiencies and critical illnesses such as liver or kidney disease. Excessive alcohol consumption can also cause fasting hypoglycaemia.
Ketotic Hypoglycemia
Ketotic hypoglycemia in child often improves with dietary changes. Children with this type of hypoglycemia should eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. These meals should include both proteins and carbohydrates. Parents should regularly check their child's ketone levels by conducting a dipstick urine test. Ketones will show up in a urine test several hours before the onset of hypoglycemia. If a urine test displays ketones, offer your child a carbohydrate-rich beverage like fruit juice or soda.
Reactive Hypoglycemia
Children suffering from reactive hypoglycemia should eat a healthy well-balanced diet consisting of healthy foods from all food groups. Avoid giving your child simple carbohydrates such as syrup and white bread. Simple carbohydrates break down faster than complex carbohydrates causing sugar to enter the bloodstream rapidly. Complex carbohydrates, including oatmeal and multi-grain bread, provide less of a jolt to blood sugar levels. Soluble fiber, found in whole grains and fruit, eases hypoglycemia by slowing down digestion and absorption of sugar. Children with hypoglycemia may also benefit from a low-fat diet. Choose lean meats such as fish or poultry.
Considerations
Being overweight can also increase a child's risk of being hypoglycemic. Excess body fat makes it hard for your body to process sugar and can result in levels both too high, as found in diabetes, and too long, as occurs in hypoglycemia. Exercise and a balanced diet can help your child reach a healthy weight. Consult a physician or dietitian when making changes in your child's diet. Your child needs to get plenty of vitamins and minerals to ensure healthy growth and development.
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