June 5, 2000
Hypoglycemia
Question from Downey, California, USA:
At birth, my son was put into the N.I.C.U. and was given glucose intravenously because he could not maintain his blood sugar level. The glucose would raise his blood sugar to about 30-35, then it would drop to 10-15. They also gave him antibiotics. After a week he came home. He is now 3 and seems normal. Every morning, for the past 6 months to a year, he has some milk and a small amount of a soy protein. Twice during the past week, we noticed that when he did not have his milk, he was extremely angry and irritable by 9 A.M. We have never seen him like this before. This morning, as soon as he had some orange juice, he went from angry to being in a festive mood like always. i got real scared and I am unsure about this. Is he hypoglycemic? Is this something we should worry about?
Answer:
Your child’s symptoms may sound like low blood sugar symptoms, but, before you spend any more time worrying, I would suggest discussing this with his doctor. If necessary, they can test his blood sugar and see if there is anything to be concerned about and then take action if need be.
KS
