August 20, 2007
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Chicago, Illinois, USA:
I’ve had type 1 diabetes since I was seven years old (May 1990). When I was checking my blood sugar myself today, I decided to check my one-year-old son as well, since diabetes runs in my family. He was 198 mg/dl [11.0 mmol/L]. He had a bottle of formula maybe a half hour to 45 minutes earlier. I am alarmed that his blood sugar was this high. This isn’t a normal blood sugar for a one-year-old, even postprandially, is it? Should I talk to his doctor as soon as possible?
Answer:
A blood sugar of 198 mg/dl [11.0 mmol/L] is clearly abnormal. However, one should hesitate to draw any conclusions from a single reading on a handheld glucometer. I would check with your pediatrician and take your son in for a complete history and physical examination and discuss your concerns there.
MSB
