6 year old Possible prediabetes...

[Bitsmommy]

HELP!! My 6 year old son has been diagnosed with hypopglycemia. His doctor checked his protein in his urine and found nothing concerning. Because of the strong family history of diabetes (MY great gradnmother, grandmother, maternal uncle, mother and sister) the doctor wanted me to check his sugar in the AM and anytime he is showing symptoms. Keep track of things and we would procede from there.

What I have learned is that if he doesn't eat before bed he wakes up to less than stellar sugar 47-60. If he eats 90's

Also, he has days where he is trying to eat everything in sight. We have caught his sugar as high as 200 3 hours after eating!

I am a nervous wreck as his little brother has some very serious medical issues and now this!

Is there anyone out there what any experience in this area??? At what point do I need to panic!?

I could ask my family, I understand that, but I really don't talk to them (the ones that are still alive) for reasons other than the diabetes

 

[buffettgirl]

First, you need to know that "hypoglycemia" is not the same as diabetes and there really is no such thing as "pre-diabetes" in a child that young. Going high after eating is sign of impaired insulin function (and diabetes) however going low in the morning is not. People with diabetes go low in the morning because they are giving themselves too much insulin. so in this case, he could just simply have Hypoglycemia which probably will never turn into diabetes. But when you check him after eating, are you making sure his fingers are completely clean (washed with soap & water, not alcohol wipes)?

Type 1 diabetes (most certainly the type your child would have if he had diabetes) is most often an autoimmune disease. Your family members, what type do they have? Type 2? something else? If it's type 2 then there is no relation to what's going on with your son. They're completely different diseases that happen to effect the same organs and systems.

If all those people have type 1 diabetes then I suggest STRONGLY that you see a genetic counselor and a pediatric endocrinologist and demand testing for genetic based reasons for diabetes which there are many.

In any case, if he begins to develop any of these symptoms in combination with high blood sugars then call your endocrinologist right away. These are all signs of HIGH blood sugars - not low (and by high I don't mean 200.. you won't have these signs with a blood sugar in that range.)

http://helpcurechildhooddiabetes.org/Know_the_Signs.html

 

[momto2js]

I would suggest a consultation with a pediatric endocrinologist. I would think an A1C blood test would be in order. I also agree with the above suggestion of making sure that his hands are clean when you see a higher than you would like BG. The AM lows are a pretty big concern and I would think a specialist might have some good insight.

 

[Bitsmommy]

Funny that there is no such thing as "pre diabetes" that is the exact term his pediatrician used. His hands are always clean when we check his sugar. I make him wash them first. With regard to family history... my great grandmother, uncle and sister are type 1. My mother and grandmother are type 2. I have always been hypoglycemic, which never turned into anything but just that.

I am going to give things a few more weeks and see what happens. I still check his sugar every morning and lately they have been perfect. Then, he will have a few weeks where they are horrible and he is back on track again. By horrible I mean 40s in the morning with difficulty getting it up, But, I haven't caught it high in a while.

 

[Sadie22]

I agree that more extensive testing with a specialist is warranted. Better safe than sorry!