Normal Blood Sugar Levels in Children

The blood sugar levels are the levels of glucose present in the blood. The body requires energy at all times of the day. This energy comes in the form of glucose that is present and circulating in the blood. This glucose is directly taken up through the blood and used by the cell for its various activities. However, there certain levels at which the blood glucose needs to be maintained. These are known as normal blood sugar levels. The normal blood sugar levels in children and adults vary only slightly. Given below are details regarding the normal blood glucose level in children.

Normal Blood Sugar Range for Children

The normal blood sugar range for children is slightly lower than that seen in adults. Most doctors advise you to check your child's blood sugar levels before meals. This is because the measurement of blood sugar before a meal is far more accurate as against blood sugar measurements after a meal. The reason for this is, the amount of blood glucose and insulin secreted will depend on the type of meal consumed and so, depending on whether it was a very high fat meal or a high fiber meal, the results may slightly vary in nature compared to the normal range blood sugar levels. Given below are details regarding the same.

Normal Blood Sugar Ranges for Kids Charts

Time of Test	Blood sugar (gm/dl)
Fasting levels	70 - 110
Immediately post prandial	< 130
Two hours after a meal	< 100

Age of Child	Blood sugar (gm/dl)
Infant/toddlers	110
School children	70 - 100
Young adults	70 - 120

High Blood Sugar Levels

There are certain conditions wherein the blood sugar of a child may be very high. Sometimes, this may be a one off case of hyperglycemia, due to a high calorie last meal. So, you need to go in for multiple tests, wherein the results must state that the blood test results are consistently high, for the case to be diagnosed as a hyperglycemic. There are many causes for high blood sugar levels in children. The preventable causes of abnormal blood sugar levels in children include a sedentary lifestyle, high calorie food intake, etc. However, there are certain conditions wherein lifestyle alone may not be a factor for high blood glucose levels. In some cases, the child may be suffering from what is known as type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune condition leading to destruction of the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. This condition is also known as juvenile diabetes. For this condition, the child needs to take insulin injections to meet the body's demand for this hormone and to stay close to the normal blood sugar levels in healthy kids

Low Blood Sugar Ranges

When there is decreased blood glucose, then it leads to low blood sugar symptoms in children. This is a condition which may be caused due to malnourishment or it may even be due to the child going into an insulin shock. When a person is suffering from diabetes, he tends to take insulin injections at regular intervals. However, if he overdoses at any given point of time, then it may lead to very low blood sugar levels or hypoglycemia. The treatment for this condition is to always ensure that the person does not overdose on his insulin shots and that he eats frequent small meals.

The body of a child is very adaptable and so, even if there are slight fluctuations and deviations from the normal blood sugar levels in children, their body manages to compensate for it. However, if symptoms of abnormal blood sugar levels start showing, then it is best to visit the doctor and get the condition diagnosed and treated at the earliest.