February 9, 2010
Hypoglycemia
Question from Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA:
My baby daughter was born two months prematurely. The doctor initially told me she had hypoglycemia, but later said she was okay. Now, my daughter is gaining a lot of weight. She looks really fat, has big cheeks and everybody tells me that I should be concerned about her weight. She drinks 7 ounces every four or four and a half hours, which I think is normal. Sometimes she looks hungry and sweats a lot when she drinks her bottle or she is sweating when she is laid down on the bed. Can you tell me if all those are symptoms of hypoglycemia? Is she too young to have that?
Answer:
The only real way to tell if your baby has hypoglycemia is to learn how to get a small drop of blood from the heel or the finger, get a blood glucose meter and actually check the blood sugar/glucose level. Your pediatrician should be able to teach you how to do this or you would need a referral to the pediatric endocrine or diabetes team in your area to check this out.
SB
