Glucose for a child, especially in the first days of life, is prescribed quite often. What is it connected with? Let's start with the fact that glucose is a very valuable source of nutrition, which, moreover, is easily absorbed by the body. It is necessary for some babies, as it is able to significantly increase the energy reserves of the crumbs.
Who is it shown to? Who is contraindicated? For what problems does a child need glucose? Do pediatricians exaggerate the role of this organic compound? We will try to answer all these questions in this article.
Glucose
Let's start with the very acquaintance with 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 such a name come from? The thing is that glucose can be found in the juice of many berries and fruits, including grapes.
Who loved chemistry and biology, he must know that some compounds our bodyable to break down into glucose and fructose. This list includes:
- pulp;
- starch;
- glycogen;
- m altose;
- lactose;
- sucrose.
To what has been said, one can also add 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 as glycogen, and in plants as starch. Cellulose is a polymer of glucose and forms the basis of the cell wall in plants. Glucose helps animals to overwinter. As an example, consider the wintering of frogs. During a cold snap, the level of grape sugar in their blood increases, and due to this, the frog can easily survive freezing in ice.
In our pharmacies you can find both a liquid solution and tablets with this compound. Note that children are given glucose in ampoules 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 glucose to a child, and when is it needed? Indications for admission are the following cases:
- avitaminosis;
- hypovitaminosis;
- pregnancy;
- lactation;
- severe lack of glucose;
- period of intensive growth;
- reconvalescence;
- increased physical activity.
Can prescribe glucose to a one-year-old baby, a baby of the first dayslife or 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 possible contraindications:
- diabetes mellitus;
- hyperglycemia;
- glucosuria;
- hypersensitivity to a component of the drug (this applies to glucose tablets);
- thrombophlebitis;
- prone to thrombosis.
In addition, you need to know that glucose tablets are not recommended for children under six years of age. If a person has diabetes mellitus or deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, then it should be taken only after consulting the attending physician, and only if he agrees to this type of treatment.
Blood sugar
Glucose solution for children, as well as for 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 has heard that you need to regularly conduct a blood test for sugar. Although this is a common name, it is not quite correct.
The fact is that in the Middle Ages, doctors believed that increased thirst, frequent urination, purulent infections are all the result of excess blood sugar in humans. But in our time, doctors are sure that it is completely absent there, since all simple sugars are converted into glucose.
Thus, when they talk about blood sugar, they mean exactly the concentration of glucose, which plays a big role in metabolismsubstances and supplies energy to all tissues and organs. In the table below you will see the rate of blood sugar in an adult.
| Indicator | Norm in a person with diabetes | Norm in a he althy person |
| Fasting (mmol/l) | 5 to 7, 2 | From 3, 9 to 5 |
| One hour after eating (mmol/l) | Up to 10 | Up to 5, 5 |
| Glycated hemoglobin (%) | No more than 7 | From 4, 6 to 5, 4 |
In the following table, you can see the rate of glucose concentration in a child from the first days of life to eleven years.
| Age | Norm (mmol/l) |
| Up to a year | 2, 8-4, 4 |
| 1-5 | 3, 3-5 |
| 6 and up | 3, 3-5, 5 |
What determines the level of glucose concentration in the blood of a child? The most obvious factors:
- food;
- work of the digestive tract;
- the effect of hormones and so on.
The following reasons influence the fact that this indicator may fall below the norm:
- starvation;
- child drinking little water;
- chronic disease;
- pathologies of the digestive tract;
- nervoussystem;
- arsenic poisoning.
And indicators above the norm are provoked:
- diabetes;
- incorrect performance of the analysis (eating before blood sampling, overstrain, both physical and nervous, etc.);
- thyroid disease;
- pancreatic tumor;
- obese;
- long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs.
What are the consequences?
A sharp increase in blood sugar, as well as a drop in this indicator, can have a deplorable effect on the he alth of the baby. What are the symptoms of impaired glucose levels? When there is a shortage:
- increased activity;
- anxiety;
- desire to eat sweets;
- heavy sweating;
- dizziness;
- pale skin;
- faint.
All these symptoms instantly disappear if you give the baby something sweet or inject intravenous glucose. These conditions are dangerous because 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. Prolonged violation of its level leads to a deterioration in brain function. That is why later in the article youlearn how much glucose to give your child, how to give it and when.
Pay attention to the fact that with a bad blood test for sugar, the doctor is obliged to re-test to rule out errors in the laboratory. If the result is the same in two analyzes, then the probability of the test being incorrect disappears. If the level of glucose in the blood is at the lowest or highest mark of the norm, then an additional study is also carried out. Experiences, intense physical exertion, or a recent illness can distort test results.
Glucose for newborns
Now we will analyze in detail the questions: is it possible for children to have glucose, why is it needed and how to give it? As mentioned earlier, pediatricians prescribe glucose for 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 baby's nutrition);
- jaundice;
- asphyxia (child is fed during resuscitation);
- birth injuries of the back and head.
In the latter case, the nervous system of the baby 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 sugar concentration in the blood of the baby drops sharply at birth. After an hour and a half, doctors take a blood test to make surethat it has been restored. If this does not happen, then the doctor prescribes glucose without fail.
For newborn babies, a special five percent solution is produced, which is either administered intravenously or added to food. 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 with baby food. What to do if glucose was prescribed to a baby at home? Moms note that it is rather difficult to drink the baby's solution because of the sugary taste.
Here are some tips that will make it easier for you and your baby to take medicine:
- Dilute the solution with water 1:1, baby will definitely like sweet water.
- It is worth drinking the solution between meals, since after sweet water there is a high probability that the baby will refuse to eat.
- Divide the entire dose into small portions.
- After taking, hold the baby upright to prevent spitting up.
Jaundice
Jaundice in newborn babies is a fairly common occurrence. Statistics say that every third baby is born with this diagnosis. The 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 baby and lasts no more than tendays.
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 preventive measure is frequent breastfeeding.
Glucose tablets
Why are they prescribing glucose tablets for children? The instruction says that it is needed in the following cases:
- with intoxication;
- dehydrated;
- collapse;
- shocked;
- hepatitis;
- liver dystrophy, etc.
This drug is produced in blisters of 10 pieces, each tablet contains 50 mg of the active ingredient. 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, it is recommended to drink it an hour before meals. In this case, it is necessary to calculate the individual dosage: no more than 300 mg per kilogram of weight. It will be better if the attending physician calculates the dosage.
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 a child weighs up to 10 kg, then per day he should receive 100 ml per kilogram of weight;
- if a child's weight varies from 10 to 20 kg, then he needs 1000 milliliters per day plus 50 milliliters foreach 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 for each kilogram of weight over 20 (daily rate).
Overdose
Glucose cannot harm a child if taken correctly. In case of overdose, patients complain of the following symptoms:
- headache;
- excitability;
- insomnia;
- nausea;
- vomit;
- 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. At the same time, an increased level of oxalate s alts, which form kidney stones, can be detected in the urine. Capillary permeability also decreases, which leads to poor tissue nutrition.
Side effects
Let's list the side effects that can be expected if you give your 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.
