If your child's blood sugar before a meal or snack is less than 3.9 mmol/L (70 mg/dL) and he or she is asymptomatic, he or she should eat immediately (part or all of a meal or a planned snack). Children usually don't need to eat additional carbohydrates to get their blood sugar back to normal.
If it's not time for a meal or snack but you are experiencing symptoms, you should eat something carbohydrate-containing first.
If the child is conscious but unable to chew with his eyes, feed him glucose gel or honey.
If your child's hypoglycemia has caused convulsions or unconsciousness, give him an injection of glucagon as soon as possible. The dosage of glucagon is calculated based on body weight, with 0.1-0.2 mg per 10 kilograms of body weight. In case of uncertainty, err on the side of more. Indispensable. An accidental overdose is not life-threatening. Once injected, if the child does not wake up after waiting for 10-15 minutes, call an ambulance as soon as possible. If the ambulance arrives and the child wakes up, there is no need to go to the hospital. When your child feels better, you can eat a small amount of food to maintain blood sugar until the next meal, but don't overdo it.
Never force-feed food or drink to an unconscious child, as it may enter the respiratory tract accidentally, causing suffocation or pneumonia in the future.
Don't let your child be alone after he has hypoglycemia; he must be accompanied by someone.
How to deal with daytime hypoglycemia
・If your child weighs less than 40 kilograms (90 pounds), he should eat 5 to 7.5 grams of carbohydrates.
・If your child weighs more than 40 kilograms (90 pounds), he should eat 7.5 to 15 grams of carbohydrates.
How to deal with nighttime hypoglycemia
・If your child weighs less than 40 kilograms (90 pounds), he should eat 15 grams of carbohydrates.
・If your child weighs more than 40 kilograms (90 pounds), he should eat 22.5 grams of carbohydrates.
Carb Therapy Checklist
Approximate amount of carbohydrates
4～5g
7.5～8g
15～16g
20～24g
juice
1 to 2 ounces
(1/8 to ¼ cup)
2 ounces
¼ cup
4 oz
(½ cup)
6 ounces
(¾ cup)
Glucose tablets (4g)*
1
2 tablets
4 slices
5~6 pieces
sugar
1 tsp
1½ tsp
3 to 4 tsp
5 tsp
honey or syrup
1 tsp
1½ tsp
3 tsp
4 to 5 tsp
Fruit exchange
Up to 1/2 serving
1/2 serving
1 serving
1½ servings
Starch exchange portion
Up to 1/2 serving
1/2 serving
1 serving
1½ servings
* Take 4g glucose tablets as an example; 5g glucose tablets are also available.
1 ounce is roughly equivalent to 30 milliliters of liquid.
The capacity of 1 small spoon is about 5 ml.
If symptoms are not relieved or worsen, repeat treatment after 10 to 12 minutes. Always recheck your child's blood sugar before treatment. Doing this can help you avoid overtreatment.
Note: Do not give your child individually wrapped candy bars or sweet treats to treat low blood sugar. These foods contain more sugar than your child needs. And the fats in these foods slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. It may also cause high blood sugar later in the day.
