The W.O. Frohring Family Resource Center
Part of Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, this center has a resource library with information on parenting, breastfeeding, sibling relationships and much more. Materials may be borrowed for a limited time within the hospital, and copying services are available.
Patients who have recently given birth at MacDonald Women’s Hospital find the library to be an excellent source on topics relating to newborns and their parents. The Frohring Family Resource Center supports a caring and effective partnership between families and their healthcare team by providing general assistance on baby care and health-related issues. You can learn more about the Center on the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital website. Community residents are also welcome to visit or call the center for information.
Health Encyclopedia
Hyperglycemia - infants
High blood sugar - infants; High blood glucose level - infants
Hyperglycemia is abnormally high blood sugar. This article discusses hyperglycemia in infants.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors |
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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.
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.
A blood test to check glucose (blood sugar) levels can be done at the bedside or in a laboratory.
There are usually no long-term effects from high blood sugar unless the baby has diabetes.
Calling your health care provider |
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Review Date:
11/14/2007
Reviewd 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.