January 16, 2005
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Fridley, Minnesota, USA:
My stepson recently had the three hour glucose test done to check if he had diabetes. We received the test results and were not provided with a “normal chart” for a child; we were only given a regular chart. He is five years old and weighs about 75 pounds. His mother has diabetes. He is overweight and seems excessively thirsty at times. He fasted for 12 hours and then went in for the test. They took his blood after fasting and then gave him that sugary orange drink and then took his blood three more times. We are concerned because we do not know what is normal for a child of his age and weight. His results were as follows:
Fasting glucose – 94 mg/dl [5.2 mmol/L]
One hour glucose – 131 mg/dl [7.3 mmol/L]
Two hour glucose – 161 mg/dl [8.9 mmol/L]
Three hour glucose – 119 mg/dl [6.6 mmol/L]
Can you please tell us what is normal for a child and if his results are serious?
Answer:
He had a glucose tolerance test. I don’t know if it was done correctly, but any blood glucose over 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L] is diabetes. At two hours during a glucose tolerance test, 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L] is diabetes. Less than 140 mg/dl [7.8 mmol/L] is normal, while 140 mg/dl [7.8 mmol/L] to 199 mg/dl [11.0 mmol/L] is an abnormal glucose tolerance test. We now like to call it pre-diabetes. We know that we can reduce the development of diabetes by diet and exercise. Get after it.
LD
