March 25, 2004
Diagnosis and Symptoms, Other
Question from St. Charles, Missouri, USA:
My son is 11 years old. About two years ago, on vacation, he fainted on us. We immediately got him a piece of fruit to eat when he came to. Now, he did it again yesterday. I took him to his pediatrician and he acted like this was no big deal. He ordered no blood work or a fasting blood sugar test. I am not sure as to what to do at this point. Do we wait till it happens again? It is very scary when this happens. He is very sweaty and turns very pale. Then he loses his eyesight, then he passes out for about 10-15 seconds. His pediatrician, who we have trusted our children to for nine years, says that this is not uncommon for a child to faint. Is that true? He said that the frequency of this was not significant. My husband comes from a family where everyone is a diabetic except for him. I realize that this is two different illnesses, but shouldn’t we be more concerned than that? I would really appreciate some advice on this.
Answer:
It is not possible or appropriate for me to try to make a diagnosis on the basis of the information that you have supplied. However, it does sound as if you are unhappy with the advice that you have already received and I would recommend that you ask for a second opinion. Your pediatrician may well be correct, especially since there have been only two episodes in two years, but I think that some tests may be justified.
KJR
