Ketotic Hypoglycemia refers to hypoglycemia (a disorder relating to low blood sugar) followed by ketosis. Ketotic hypoglycemia is typically or most common among infants and children, becoming noticeable in as early as 18 months to 5 years of age.
Ketotic Hypoglycemia is characterized with the usual symptoms of hypoglycemia such as intense hunger, headaches, loss or weakening of the body’s basic motor functions, convulsions and loss of focus, as well as ketosis. Ketosis is a state in metabolism wherein the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies that are normally used by the body as an alternative energy source. Ketosis is a cause for alarm since glucose is the natural and preferred energy source for the body and the brain, and ketone bodies only serve as stopgap and temporary fixes in times of absolute duress. Another risk posed by ketosis is that ketone bodies and fatty acids usually breakdown into acetyl groups after use, and ketone itself may slowly decarboxylate into acetone, which may be toxic to the body.
Delayed feeding or fasting is the most common cause of ketotic hypoglycemia among children and infants (it has been estimated that one out of 300 to 1000 infants suffer from ketotic hypoglycemia during birth). People can notice this by checking the infant’s blood and urine for ketosis, which exhibit fruit-like smells similar to a diabetic in need of insulin. While most normal children can fast for as long as 12 to 18 hours without developing hypoglycemia, it will eventually develop if the fasting period is prolonged to as much as 36 hours.
Ketotic Hypoglycemia is a very risky disorder, as a child who may seem sick and may vomit because of diarrhea may get worse. The sickness may cause the child to eat poorly, prolonging the fasting period, and may become difficult to wake up the next morning. After this, the child may suffer a seizure and enter a comatose state by mid-morning. Long term, irreversible brain damage becomes a large possibility afterwards.
It is very easy to get access to a blood glucose monitors these days and parents should not do without one. Consult a physician and take note of the required blood sugar levels for your child (60 mg per deciliter or less is highly suspicious of hypoglycemia and a readout like it should send you and your kid directly to a doctor for consultation).
A child with ketotic hypoglycemia should be treated with small, frequent feedings of high protein, high carbohydrate foods. The urine should be tested regularly for presence of ketones using a simple distick test. This is a very important procedure since ketones in the urine means that hypoglycemia will develop in a few hours. The appearance of ketones in your child’s urine should be treated with juices and regular sodas, and followed by a direct trip to your physician for suggestions on long term treatment and prevention. If your child is unable to ingest these quick fix treatments or may be suffering from other disorders that prohibit such liquids, the hospital may need to administer treatment intravenously. Fortunately, most cases of ketotic hypoglycemia are temporary and will usually disappear after 8 to 9 years of age.
Quick Tip #1
Treatment of hypoglycemia is an ongoing process, remember to have a good diet with evenly spaced out meals every 2-3 hours apart. Also exercising can really help in keeping this condition under check.
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Quick Tip #2
A lot of symptoms of low blood sugar have common signs as other diseases. If you exeperience any of the hypoglycemia symptoms, do consult your doctor for treatment.
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