I took my five year old daughter to the doctor because her sugar and fluid intake is very high. They tested her blood level which was 90 mg/dl [5 mmol/L], and her doctor told me a normal level is 40 to 60 mg/dl [2.2-3.3 mmol/L]. Because of this, they did a urine test to see if she had sugar in her urine. This test came back fine so her doctor said to do no more at this time. In six months to a year she would like to retest her blood level. Why is her blood level high, but nothing is wrong with her urine? Should I be concerned with her blood level and practice a different diet for her or do nothing and stop worrying?

I think you should talk carefully again with your doctor as there clearly has been miscommunication! A “normal” blood sugar is not 40 to 60 mg/dl [2.2-3.3 mmol/L] as you wrote. A normal fasting blood sugar is generally 60-110 mg/dl [3.3-6.1 mmol/L]. It certainly can be somewhat higher than this after meals. A glucose level randomly done in the middle of the day (that is, not fasting) generally is thought to be diagnostic of diabetes if it is greater or equal to 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L], especially if the patient is having symptoms of diabetes. A fasting glucose in the lab (not a little fingerstick) of more than 125 mg/dl [6.9 mmol/L] is consistent with diabetes also. The urine typically does not contain glucose until the blood glucose is more than 180 mg/dl [10 mmol/L].

Therefore, based on your description and your daughter’s glucose level of 90 mg/dl [5 mmol/L], it does not appear at all that she has diabetes at this time. Please go back and speak with her doctor.

DS