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Hypoglycaemia in Infantile Malnutrition
Author(s) -
KERPELFRONIUS E.,
KAISER É.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1967.tb15286.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pallor , wasting , asymptomatic , malnutrition , blood sugar , clinical significance , pediatrics , incidence (geometry) , hypoglycemia , malabsorption , physiology , endocrinology , insulin , physics , optics , diabetes mellitus
Summary The incidence, the clinical significance and the factors predisposing to hypoglycaemia were studied in 84 malnourished infants. Predisposing factors were young age, intestinal infections, extreme wasting of the body, the deficit in weight exceeding 25 % as compared to normal infants of the same length, and even brief periods of fasting. Older oedematous infants, if not extremely marasmic, were not hypoglyc‐aemic. Malabsorption of carbohydrate does not play a leading role in eliciting hypoglycaemia, since severe hypoglycae‐mia was also observed in cases in whom the ability to split disaccharides was preserved. The prominent clinical symptoms at blood sugar levels between 25 and 0 mg/ 100 ml were pallor and apnoeic spells, while convulsions were exceptional. There was a prompt response to intravenous glucose, and recurring attacks were generally prevented by frequent feeding and by the administration of corticoids. Some cases exhibiting very low blood sugar levels remained asymptomatic. Fasting blood sugar levels were found to be of great prognostic significance.