You get most of the energy your body needs from a sugar called glucose, which comes from the foods you eat. Carbohydrates are the main dietary source of glucose. If your child has diabetes, you need to monitor her blood glucose. A low blood glucose level -- a condition called hypoglycemia -- requires immediate intervention in a child with diabetes.
Normal Blood Sugar Levels
You can determine blood sugar levels with a simple blood test. If your child is diabetic, you may have to check his glucose levels regularly to make sure they fall within a healthy range. For children, the normal glucose readings vary with age. Teens ages 13 to 19 should have levels between 90 and 130 mg/dL before meals and between 90 and 150 mg/dL before going to sleep, the University of California Benioff Children's Hospital reports. Kids ages 6 to 12 should have readings between 90 and 180 mg/dL before meals and 100 and 180 mg/dL at bedtime, while for kids younger than age 6 ,the normal range is 100 to 180 mg/dL before meals and 110 mg/dL and 200 mg/dL at bedtime.
When to Test Blood Sugar Levels
If your child has diabetes, you'll have to get in the habit of checking her glucose levels regularly to ensure they fall in the normal range. Your child's doctor will tell you specifically when to check her blood sugar levels. In general, though, you'll need to perform the test before each meal and before going to bed. You'll also need to check it if you suspect her glucose level has fallen too low before and after exercise and when your child is sick. Additionally, if your child's levels aren't in a normal range during the day, you'll also have to test the next morning when she awakes.
Signs of a Low Blood Sugar Level
Hypoglycemia often causes noticeable symptoms -- signs of which you are probably aware if your child has diabetes. Common signs of a low glucose level include hunger, sweating, anxiety, nervousness, shakiness, weakness, lightheadedness, fatigue, confusion and difficulty talking. Blood sugar levels can also drop too low while your child is sleeping or if too much times passes between meals. In these cases, signs typically include waking up damp from profuse sweating, having nightmares or crying while sleeping and waking up tired or confused.
Treatment
Hypoglycemia requires prompt treatment if your child has diabetes, so you should make sure you know what to do in the case of a low blood sugar level. Typically, treatment includes eating or taking glucose pills immediately after you notice symptoms or your child complains of symptoms, or if a reading indicates your child's level has dropped too low. If you don't have glucose tablets of glucose gel handy, your child should consume glucose-rich foods such as fruit juice, sugar, honey, hard candy, milk or non-diet sodas. Typically, doctors recommend treating hypoglycemia at levels less than 70 mg/dL, so a reading of 49 mg/dL requires immediate treatment. Once your child eats something to help increase his level, you should check again 15 minutes later to make sure it has risen.
