My 2 1/2 year old daughter is giving us a little scare lately. For the past week, she has been eating CONSTANTLY. She has been waking me up at 5am asking for something to eat - and then she is asking for food all day at daycare. It is amazing how much she has eaten in the past week. She is also drinking tons of liquids - she has a meltdown if I tell her no milk until dinner. On Wednesday, she had 2 glasses of juice and 2 glasses of water, just at snack time at her daycare.
Daycare became concerned yesterday because in addition to the eating, she had thrown up once but did not have any kind of fever. She was also sleeping a lot and seemed week.
I called the Mayo Clinic nurse line and they were very concerned and wanted us to the see the pediatrician right away. The pediatrician thought she seemed fine, from a viral/bug standpoint but wanted to test the blood sugar. We also weighed her and she has maintained the same weigh since Christmas. She is at 29 pounds and is tall and thin.
Her blood sugar came back at 80. The dr. says normal is 70-100. So, would this seem a bit on the low side, since she had eaten just an hour before the test? Should I still be concerned about diabetes or can I breath a sigh of relief? Is there anything else that I need to be worrying about or asking my doctor about?
My daughter has had an unremarkable health history and has always fallen right around the 50th percentile for height and weight. She eats a pretty well balanced diet with occasional junk food/fast food.
Thanks for all the great advice! We are going to continue watching her. The doctor said if this continues for another week to bring her back in for a more extensive workup - so that is what we are doing! At least now I have some questions to ask. Thanks again.
I would maybe look into having her thyroid checked. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism after our first son, and much of what you listed can be associated with it (eating more than usual but staying at the same weight - or actually losing weight, feeling thirsty often, feeling exhausted/tired, etc.)
Just something that you might want to ask your doctor about...
I personally dont think you have anything to worry about, especially since she fell within the numbers. You didnt say what she ate, but if it wasnt alot of sugars or carbs, then it would be normal. She very well could be going thru a huge growth spurt, which does make kids tired and hungry. As for being thirsty, well around here in Sioux Falls the humidity is high and they get thristy real fast. Have her checked again in a month if you are still concerned or ask if you can get a meter and track it yourself. Bring in the numbers with you at next visit.
It sounds like she is just going thru a growth spurt. My son who is 2.5 also, has been eating/drinking up a storm for the past 2 months. He was waking up about 3am each night and asking for something to eat. We started to give him some protein right before he went to bed and that seemed to help him sleep thru the night again.
All I can figure out is that its summer and he is running around more so he needs more food to keep his energy up. He really hasn't gained any weight, but we have noticed he is getting taller.
Keep going back until you get an answer. It might be a phase, it might be something else. Trust your gut, rarely is it wrong. If it is nothing ( I hope and pray that it is just a phase) then all you have to be worried about is being a concerned parent. There is no reason to not get a 2nd or even 3rd opinion.
I have diabetes myself, and was diagnosed just before I turned four. The fact that her blood sugar was on the low side after eating completely convinces me that she does not have diabetes. For a comparison, my blood sugar was over 600 when I was diagnosed. I certainly don't know what the problem is (if anything), but I would breathe a sigh of relief that it is not diabetes. Good luck!
I wouldn't be overly concerned. Another big sign of diabetes is frequent urination, which she doesn't seem to be doing. Her numbers were in the range- either way, think you'd be fine- if she ate a lot of sugary food before and she still had an 80, things are working. If she would have come up high, they would have most likely requested a fasting level to be more accurate. When my newphew was diagnosed at 11, he had the classic symptoms of frequent urination and endless thirst. When they tested his glucose, his numbers were sky high.
I know that, this time of year, I tend to crave much more water/liquids than I do in the winter- which is common with the heat. I would also think it might just be a growth spurt.
I'd keep an eye on it- and trust your instincts, If it continues or the symptoms increase, have them recheck it. (I work in the medical field and it can happen on occasion that they test negative, only to test positive some time later- though this isn't common.) All in all, I wouldn't be too worried. Good luck
T.,
I think that you can breathe a sigh of relief. If your daughter had eaten only 1 hour prior to getting her blood sugar tested 80 is perfect! If it would have been really high after eating, then that is when you need to worry. I grew up around diabetes. One of my best friends has it as well as 2 of my grandparents. I honestly think from what it sounds like, your daughter is just going to through a phase or maybe even a growth spurt. Just monitor her for the next week and if she continues, she could have an underlying problem, but I don't think it is diabetes.
Relax T.. If she had diabetes full-blown she would pass out when her blood sugar was too low - then you could rush her to the hospital.
She's probably going through a growth spurt (body or brain). Give her lots of high quality protein to help her through it instead of filler foods like cereals and bread. When kids are growing, filler foods make their blood sugar fluctuate abnormally because they are using all of the calories they consume. These fluctuations make them hungry.
Make meat, cheese, beans and eggs combined with fresh fruits and vegetables the bulk of her diet for a while. Then, Enjoy it ~ she's growing!
My mother and my husband have both recently done blood sugar tests and they came in at 99 and 98, respectively. So I'd think your daughter got a MUCH better score. Did your ped go over the other signs of diabetes? Like peeing a lot? It could just be that she's having a growth spurt. I don't have any issues with my own daughter drinking lots - it is getting to be hot and I'd rather have her be sure she's getting enough to drink than worry she'll pass out when we step outside. And also, my daughter is about 2.25 years and hanging out at 28/29 pounds which is totally fine - when ever she gains an extra couple pounds it takes a bit for my own muscles to adjust to the new strain!
I would thinks that with the blodd sugar being on the low side, that you would more likely need to worry about hyperglycemia, which is pretty much the opposite of diabetes. It causes low blood sugar which would explain why she wants to eat all the time. It generally isn't treated unless it is severe. I would keep food with you at all times and watch for her getting shaky or clammy.
If it continues, I would request a more thorgough metabolic workup and/or endocrine work up, including thryoid and thryroid ANTIBODIES. Sounds like it's not diabetes, but could be something else (but I couldn't guess quite what)--sounds like her metabolism is very fast right now. Hopefully it's a growth spurt, but to be waking up to eat seems unusual for that age??? Good Luck. If you do pursue further testing, I'd be curious what comes back (if anything)
She's expressing the classic signs of Type 1 diabetes. I think you should ask for a fasting blood sugar test. She would not eat after a certain time the night before, and you would take her for the blood draw first thing the next morning. There is also another test, where they make your drink a ton of glucose and then test your blood sugar at regular intervals to see how your body responds to sugar and how quickly it takes to process it. That may not be necessary in your daughter's case.
Another possible cause would be an intestinal worm of some sort. These are more common than we think. You may want to have them do a full stool culture to see if anything turns up there.
I hope this helps. God bless you and your daughter!
N.
You know if you're still worried, Id call the Mayo Clinic again and tell them that. You need to know, and hear them say, that "80 is a normal blood sugar for 1 hr after eating". Also, they need to reassure you about the vomiting and the constant urinating. Don't stop ever asking questions, that is the job of the care physicians to assure you.
Hi T.-
It could be a lot of things but trust your gut.
A second opinion might certainly be in order if this continues.
That's what insurance is for- right??
She might be going through a growth spurt, just dehydrated, virus, or something more.
Watch it for a few days, and if she's still drinking copious amounts- then schedule an appt to rule out diabetes.
About me:
47yo med. prof, wellness coach and mom of nearly 7yo twin girls
B. J
I would agree with the previous poster about possible hypoglycemia. Diabetes is hyperglycemia- lack of insulin production causes the blood sugar to soar high.
The symptoms you have described seem typical of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). This is easily treatable.
When I am pregnant I tend to low blood sugar. I get sleepy, hungry, nauseous etc. The key is having the right foods to maintain a good blood sugar. Actually eliminating refined sugar will help immensely. High fructose corn syrup is EXTREMELY dangerous especially to those struggling with blood sugar issues.
So, I would not worry about diabetes. Check into hypoglycemia. Ask as many questions as you can to get the answers that you need. You are your daughter's best advocate and know her symptoms and behaviours better than any Dr. could.
Good luck and good health!
It sounds to me that is time for a growth spurt. My kids always start to take in the food just before they sprout a few inches.
I think I would be concerned more about low blood sugar - that would explain the constant hunger and the fact of eating a lot and not gaining weight. Have her have high protein snacks every couple of hours - cheese, nuts, I have a great protein snack ball that kids like - let me know if you would like the recipe.
L. L
T.,
If her blood sugar was at 80 - only an hour after she had eaten - you should not have to worry about diabetes. She does seem to be displaying all the common diabetes signs; however, they like to test the blood sugar when they haven't eaten for at least 4 hours to get a true test. When my son was diagnosed he hadn't eaten since the night before his blood sugar was over 200 - when they tested him after he ate and we checked in at the hospital he was over 900. 80 is VERY Normal. I hope they can find out what is causing the unusual diet behavior.
