December 17, 2007
Blood Tests and Insulin Injections, Other
Question from Arizona, USA:
My two-year-old daughter was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Now concerned about my other children, I am wondering what their blood sugars should be. Also, does it matter how long you must wait after a meal before checking to get an accurate reading?
Answer:
All readings are accurate if they are done correctly from a technical standpoint. Interpretation is different. Pre-meal blood glucose should be between 60 mg/dl [3.3 mmol/L] to 99 mg/dl [5.5 mmol/L] and the same value should be the normal range in the middle of the night. One to two hours after eating, values could rise to 126 mg/dl [7.0 mmol/L]. Some would say up to 140 mg/dl [7.8 mmol/L] on a home meter is acceptable. By three to four hours after eating, blood sugar values should be back to the normal pre-meal values.
SB
