September 4, 2001
Hypoglycemia
Question from Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA:
For the last two months, my 10 year old son has been sick with headaches, feeling very tired, and not eating much. He seen the doctors off and on, and even has had an overnight hospitalization to see if he has diabetes. My husband gets insulin and has checked my son’s blood sugars with one of the newest meters. His values are in the 40’s-60’s mg/dl [2.2-3.3 mmol/L], but the doctor said you can’t always go by the meter. I am very worried!
Answer:
A normal blood sugar is typically around 65-110 mg/dl [3.6-6.1 mmol/L] in a person who does not have diabetes. Diabetes typically causes blood sugars higher than this range. The blood sugars you mention are a bit low. I would suggest continued follow-up with your son’s pediatrician and whomever he/she suggests to continue the sometimes difficult task of identifying the cause of the low blood sugars.
MSB
