September 2, 2000
Daily Care
Question from Marydel, Delaware, USA:
My son was diagnosed with diabetes at age three; he is now six years old. For the first couple of years, his blood sugars were pretty normal. This past year, they are totally out of control. We have tried everything from eating the same foods for several days in a row and eating at the same time of day each day, but the sugars still fluctuate dramatically. I am getting at my wit’s end as to what to do to get his blood sugar numbers where they need to be. At his last checkup, his HbA1c was 8%, and I feel we need to get this under control. Any suggestions to this constant high/low battle?
Answer:
I wish there was an easy answer to your concerns. Indeed I share your concerns that blood sugars can change dramatically despite our best efforts.
Managing diabetes in a 6 year old has many individual problems. Many physicians do not attempt to intensively manage children at this age, but rather work diligently to avoid high and low blood sugars, reinforce healthy eating habits and reinforce lifestyle changes to better deal with diabetes. You may also wish to make a change to his insulin treatment plan to better deal with his repeated highs and lows. I would discuss this with your diabetes team.
MSB
