SUPPORT GROUP

MONITORING BLOOD SUGAR

Individual blood sugar tests are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle…you need to put together a lot of them before you can see the big picture clearly! Record the results in a book so that you always have the numbers handy with you for ready reference.

Your doctor can provide you with a record book…or your child may have fun making one and decorating it! Each time you test your child’s blood sugar levels, write down the result in the book, clearly marking the date and time of the test. By comparing how the blood sugar levels change (or don’t change) from test to test, you and your doctor can fine-tune your child’s diabetes care. So, remember always to carry the book with you when you visit the doctor.

HbA1c–Glycosylated Hemoglobin
Glycosylated Hemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that measures the average blood sugar over the previous few months. The results are expressed as a percentage (%).Expect the doctor to check your child’s HbA1c every three months. This will tell you how good the average blood sugar control has been over the past three months, and let you know when its time to adopt more strict measures.

Table 1 - Target glucose and HbA1c levels in plasma for T1DM patients, by age group Plasma glucose (mg/dL) Values by age group Before meals Before going to bed HbA1c Toddlers and preschool aged children 100 - 180 110 - 200 <8.5 and> 7.5% School aged children 90 - 180 100 - 180 <8% Adolescents and young adults 90 - 130 90 - 150 <7.5% Adapted from American Diabetes Association.

Test more often when:

• Your child is sick, (please check the blood glucose every 2 hours and maintain a record)
• The diabetes treatment is changed.
• When daily activities change, for example the child joins a sports team

It takes time and patience to figure out how to improve blood sugar levels. Do not try out experiments on your own without the constant supervision of your health care provider. Perseverance in monitoring is the key to success.

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