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Alternative Names Return to top
High blood sugar - infants; High blood glucose level - infantsDefinition Return to top
Hyperglycemia is abnormally high blood sugar. This article discusses hyperglycemia in infants.
Causes Return to top
A healthy baby's body usually has very careful control of blood glucose levels. Insulin is the main hormone in the body that regulates glucose. Sick babies may have poor insulin function or low amounts, which causes poor control of the blood sugar.
There can be specific causes of ineffective or low insulin, such as infection, liver problems, hormone problems, and some medications. Rarely, babies may actually have diabetes, with low insulin levels that result in high blood sugars.
Symptoms Return to top
Babies with hyperglycemia often have no symptoms.
Sometimes, babies with high blood sugars will produce large amounts of urine and become dehydrated. High blood sugars may be a sign that the baby has added stress on the body due to problems such as an infection or heart failure.
Exams and Tests Return to top
A blood test to check glucose (blood sugar) levels can be done at the bedside or in a laboratory.
Outlook (Prognosis) Return to top
There are usually no long-term effects from high blood sugar unless the baby has diabetes.
Update Date: 11/14/2007 Updated by: Deirdre O’Reilly, M.D., M.P.H., Neonatologist, Division of Newborn Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston and Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
