title: A prospective study of symptomatic hypoglycaemia in childhood diabetes.
abstract: A prospective study of symptomatic hypoglycaemia was conducted in 47 children over a 14-week period using a questionnaire completed at home for each episode of hypoglycaemia. Twenty-nine children (62%) experienced 150 episodes during the study. The average incidence was once every 33 days (range 0-5.2 mo-1). Hypoglycaemia occurred more frequently in children with lowest haemoglobin A1 levels. Episodes were not randomly distributed in time; hypoglycaemia occurred significantly more frequently in the evening, in the early morning and around midday. The majority of episodes were judged to be mild but 2 children had nocturnal convulsions and glucagon was used on three occasions. Symptomatic nocturnal hypoglycaemia occurred one or more times in 30% of the children. Daytime episodes were manifested by tremor, feeling weak, dizziness, pallor, and other symptoms and signs. In 46% of cases the cause was not evident to parents or children, but 25% were related to physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Child Health, Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital, Alder Hey, U.K.
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Macfarlane
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stutchfield
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin