Glucose for a child - features of use, norms and indications

Glucose in a child, especially the first days of life, is prescribed quite often. What is the reason for this? To begin with, glucose is a very valuable source of nutrition, which is also easily absorbed by the body. It is necessary for some babies, as it is able to increase in a significant amount the energy reserves of the crumbs.

Who is she shown to? Who is contraindicated in? What problems does a child need glucose for? Are pediatricians exaggerating the role of this organic compound? We will try to answer all these questions in this article.

Glucose

Let's start with our introduction to glucose. What is it? This compound is also called grape sugar, and it is considered the most common source of energy in all living organisms on our planet. Where did this name come from? The thing is that glucose can be found in the juice of many berries and fruits, this includes grapes.

Those who love chemistry and biology must know that our body can break down certain compounds into glucose and fructose. This list includes:

• cellulose;
• starch;
• glycogen;
• maltose;
• lactose;
• sucrose.

We can add to the above that the described substance is the main product of photosynthesis. Energy is necessary for the implementation of metabolic processes, and glucose is its universal source.

In animals, this compound is found in the form of glycogen, and in plants - as starch. Cellulose is a polymer of glucose; it underlies the cell membrane in plants. Glucose helps animals to winter. As an example, consider the wintering of frogs. During the cold snap, their blood levels of grape sugar increase, and due to this, the frog can easily survive the freezing in the ice.

In our pharmacies you can find both a liquid solution and tablets with this compound. Note that glucose in ampoules is given to children much more often than in the form of tablets.

Now we suggest moving on to the issue of indications and contraindications for taking these drugs.

Indications and contraindications

So, is it possible to give a child glucose, and when is it needed? Indications for admission are the following cases:

• avitaminosis;
• hypovitaminosis;
• pregnancy;
• lactation period;
• acute lack of glucose;
• period of intensive growth;
• convalescence;
• increased physical activity.

They can prescribe glucose to a one-year-old child, a toddler of the first days of life, or an adult. In this case, the attending physician must make sure that there are no barriers to taking this drug. In the list below you can see all the possible contraindications:

• diabetes;
• hyperglycemia;
• glucosuria;
• hypersensitivity to the component of the drug (this applies to glucose in tablets);
• thrombophlebitis;
• tendency to thrombosis.

In addition, you must know that glucose in the form of tablets is not recommended for children under six years of age. If a person has diabetes mellitus or a deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, then it should be taken only after consulting a physician, and only if he agrees to this type of treatment.

Blood sugar

A glucose solution for children, as well as adults, is prescribed only after a blood test. In this section of the article, we will talk about the norm of blood sugar in adults and children.

Surely everyone heard that you need to regularly conduct a blood test for sugar. Although this is a common name, it is not entirely true.

The fact is that in the Middle Ages, doctors believed that increased thirst, frequent urination, purulent infections - all this is the result of exceeding the blood sugar in humans. But in our time, doctors are sure that it is completely absent there, since all simple sugars are converted to glucose.

Thus, when they talk about blood sugar, they mean the concentration of glucose, which plays a big role in the metabolism and supplies energy to all tissues and organs. In the table below you will see the rate of blood sugar in an adult.

In the following table you can see the norm of glucose concentration in a child from the first days of life to eleven years.

What determines the level of glucose concentration in the blood of a child? The most obvious factors:

• food;
• digestive tract work;
• the effect of hormones and so on.

The fact that this indicator may fall below the norm is influenced by the following reasons:

• starvation;
• the child drinks little water;
• chronic illness;
• pathology of the digestive tract;
• nervous system;
• arsenic poisoning.

And indicators above the norm are provoked:

• diabetes mellitus;
• incorrect execution of the analysis (food intake before blood sampling, overstrain, both physical and nervous, etc.);
• thyroid disease;
• pancreatic tumor;
• Obesity
• prolonged use of anti-inflammatory drugs.

What are the implications?

A sharp increase in blood sugar, as well as a drop in this indicator, can disastrously affect the baby’s health. What are the symptoms of glucose disturbance? With a shortage observed:

• increased activity;
• anxiety;
• desire to eat sweets;
• heavy sweating;
• dizziness;
• pallor of the skin;
• fainting.

All these symptoms disappear instantly if you give your baby something sweet or inject glucose intravenously. These conditions are dangerous in that they can degenerate into a hypoglycemic coma, which in turn can lead to the death of the patient.

Symptoms of high blood sugar in a child include:

• weakness;
• headache;
• cold limbs;
• dry mouth
• intense thirst;
• itchy skin;
• digestion problems.

The problem of high or low blood sugar should be taken very carefully. A prolonged violation of its level leads to a deterioration of the brain. That is why, later in the article, you will learn how much glucose to give your child, how to give it and in what cases.

Pay attention to the fact that with a poor blood test for sugar, the doctor must conduct a second test to eliminate errors in the laboratory. If the result is the same in the two analyzes, then the likelihood of a test incorrectness disappears. If the blood glucose level is at a lower or higher mark of the norm, then an additional study is also carried out. Distort the test results can experience, intense physical activity or a recent illness.

Glucose for newborns

Now we will analyze the questions in detail: is glucose possible for children, why is it needed and how to give it? As mentioned earlier, pediatricians prescribe glucose to children quite often and for various reasons. Grape sugar is a source of energy for the whole body, which is very easily absorbed even by infants in the first days of life. We list the situations when glucose is prescribed for newborns:

• prematurity;
• problems with breastfeeding (glucose can replace a baby’s nutrition);
• jaundice;
• asphyxia (the child receives food during resuscitation);
• birth injuries of the back and head.

In the latter case, the nervous system of the crumbs suffers, and glucose is simply necessary for recovery and recovery. It is worth immediately drawing the attention of parents to the fact that the level of concentration of sugar in the blood of a baby drops sharply at birth. After an hour and a half, doctors take a blood test to make sure it is restored. If this does not happen, then the doctor prescribes glucose without fail.

For newborns, a special five percent solution is produced, which is either administered intravenously or added to the diet. We will talk about it in more detail in the next section.

How to give glucose to a child in the first days of life?

In medical institutions, it is customary to administer a glucose solution to a child intravenously, through a tube, or add it to a bottle for baby food. What to do if glucose is prescribed to the baby at home? Moms say that it’s rather difficult to drink the baby’s solution because of the sugary taste.

Use some tips that will make it easier for you and your baby to take the medicine:

1. Dilute the solution with water 1: 1, sweet water will certainly like crumbs.
2. Drinking a solution is between meals, because after a sweet water there is a high probability that the baby will refuse to eat.
3. Divide the entire dose into small portions.
4. After taking, hold the baby upright so that no regurgitation occurs.

Jaundice

Jaundice in newborn babies is a fairly common occurrence. Statistics confirm that every third baby is born with this diagnosis. A yellow tint of the skin and mucous membranes appears as a result of an increase in the level of bilirubin in the blood. This condition appears on the second or third day after the birth of the crumbs and lasts no more than ten days.

Often, pediatricians prescribe a glucose solution, but it is not able to reduce the level of bilirubin in the blood. The solution prevents intoxication. The best medicine and preventative measure is frequent attachment to the chest.

Glucose tablets

Why prescribe glucose in tablets to children? The instruction says that it is needed in the following cases:

• with intoxication;
• dehydration;
• collapse;
• shocked;
• hepatitis;
• liver dystrophy, etc.

This drug is produced in blisters of 10 pieces, each tablet contains 50 mg of the active substance. The drug also has contraindications, which include: diabetes mellitus, hyperlactacidemia, heart failure, hyponatremia, cerebral or pulmonary edema.

Features of application and dosage

If you are going to take glucose in the form of tablets, then it is recommended to drink it one hour before a meal. In this case, it is necessary to calculate an individual dosage: not more than 300 mg per kilogram of weight. It will be better if the dosage is calculated by the attending physician.

With intravenous administration (drip or jet method), the attending physician must independently calculate the dose, based on the weight of the child. It should not exceed these indicators:

• if the child weighs up to 10 kg, then per day he should receive 100 ml per kilogram of weight;
• if the child’s weight varies from 10 to 20 kg, then per day he needs 1000 milliliters plus 50 milliliters for every kilogram over 10;
• if the child's weight is more than 20 kg, then to 1.5 thousand milliliters it is necessary to add 20 ml per each kilogram of weight over 20 (daily rate).

Overdose

Glucose cannot harm a child if taken correctly. In case of an overdose, patients complain of the following symptoms:

• headache;
• excitability;
• insomnia
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea.

You also need to know that with an overdose of glucose with ascorbic acid, gastritis develops, ulcers form on the mucous membranes of the intestines and stomach. In urine, one can also find an elevated level of oxalate salts, which form kidney stones. The permeability of capillaries is also reduced, which leads to poor nutrition of tissues.

Side effects

We list the side effects that can be expected if you give the child glucose. These include: allergic reactions, damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa, inhibition of insulin production, fever, acute left ventricular failure, pain and bruising when administered intravenously.