July 28, 2007
Other
Question from Smethport, Pennnsylvania, USA:
Our son is having an extremely hard time in school. He has a hard time remembering anything. He also has a speech impairment, has OT (occupational therapy) and PT (physical therapy). He is very behind. Going into the second grade, he is working at a kindergarten level in some subjects. He has a personal nurse who checks his sugar before any tests or work assignments and they are usually high. So, he misses almost every question. He cannot read and pronounce words like he should and cannot blend words. He just can’t remember these little things. Do you think it’s his blood sugars? They already said he is learning disabled.
Answer:
This is much more than diabetes. Usually, what you describe isn’t associated with diabetes.
Children do complain of some trouble with higher thinking when high and, certainly, when low, but the degree of problems you describe are much worse. It is likely there is another and much more important diagnosis. He needs evaluation by neurologists and clinical psychologists.
LD
[Editor’s comment: If your son’s blood sugars are usually high at school, you should consult your diabetes team about making adjustments to his insulin dosing. The elevated readings could be attributed to a variety of factors, which your team should be able to address.
BH]
