A child's blood glucose level is a measurement of the amount of sugar contained within the blood. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the major source of energy for most of a child's organs, including muscles, nerves and the brain. Measuring a child's glucose level is only done in rare cases when childhood diseases, such as diabetes, are suspected. Blood glucose is measured by a random blood glucose test, fasting blood sugar levels, an oral glucose tolerance test and the glycated hemoglobin test.
Random Blood Glucose Levels
A random blood sugar test, the primary test used to diagnosis diabetes in children, involves drawing the child's blood at a random time. A normal result for random blood glucose level is any value less than 200 mg/dL. A range higher than this indicates a high risk of childhood diabetes. Even if your child's random blood sugar test is normal, a doctor may still order further testing if your child shows certain signs and symptoms of diabetes.
Fasting Blood Glucose Levels
A fasting blood sugar test is done after your child has spent at least 8 hours fasting from all foods and beverages. A result of 100 mg/dL or lower indicates normal fasting blood sugar levels, according to MedlinePlus, a service of the National Institutes of Health. If your child has a fasting blood sugar level between 100 and 125 mg/dL, he may be suffering from a condition known as prediabetes. Prediabetes is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Fasting blood sugar levels of 126 mg/dL or higher indicate the presence of diabetes.
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
An oral glucose tolerance test is a possible diagnostic test your doctor may use to determine if your child is suffering from diabetes. For this test, your child is given a drink that contains 75 g of glucose dissolved in water, FamilyDoctor.org explains. Two hours after drinking the beverage, a blood sample is drawn, and the blood sugar levels remaining in the blood are measured. Any result of 200 mg/dL or greater indicates childhood diabetes.
Glycated Hemoglobin Test
A glycated hemoglobin test, also called an A1C test, measures the amount of blood sugar levels within your child over the past two to three months, the Mayo Clinic explains. Blood sugar can attach itself to molecules called hemoglobin, which are the oxygen-carrying proteins found in blood cells. High amounts of glucose bound to hemoglobin correspond to consistently high blood sugar levels. If your child has two separate A1C tests with results higher than 6.5 percent, then she may be suffering from diabetes. A1C levels are also used to monitor children undergoing treatment for diabetes. Children younger than 6 years should keep their A1C levels less than 8.5 percent, according to MayoClinic.com. Children between 6 and 12 must have an A1C level lower than 8 percent, and teenagers being treated for diabetes should maintain A1C levels lower than 7.5 percent.
