Does Anyone Experience Low Blood Sugar in Nondiabetic Child?

You've gotten good advice here, B.. If I were you, I would hand her a piece of cheese, or string cheese, when she gets out of the bathroom after waking up. It should become a habit, and one that you give really hard consequences for not eating it if she fights you over. If it's part of the morning routine, whether she likes it or not, it will help.

There are things that kids just have to do. This should be one of them. Good luck...

I have experienced this my whole life. I never sought a medical opinion because I just thought it was normal. Now as an adult, I just make sure I eat.

Yup. I had the drink the sugary drink test and they tested me for 6 hours afterwards when I was in my twenties. I was fainting. I was told that I had to have a snack on hand and eat every 2-3 hours.

I had no underlying cause.

I make sure I don't have a sugar high and then crash after too. Just means watching what I snack on. Balanced snacks - regularly.

Added: I should add, this started when I was a teenager.

Heck if I go with no breakfast I get low blood sugar too.
I think most people would.
Generally, if she repeatedly feels awful from not having anything to break her fast - she ought learn to eat and/or drink something so she doesn't feel awful anymore.

NO ONE in my house is ever allowed to leave without having a little something in their stomach - even if that's just a piece of toast and a glass of juice (more usually a cup of coffee).
After working in food service for several years in a high school - it just floors me that SO MANY kids eat nothing for breakfast - and it's what they choose to do.
Some tell me at lunch that they are SO HUNGRY - they didn't eat breakfast - like this is something to be proud of - and I always ask them - "Why do you do this to yourself?".
You don't get sympathy for self inflicted issues.
If I purposely shot myself in the foot would you feel sorry for me? NO!
These are bright people - they need to quit acting stupid.

A quick breakfast can be so easy.
Nuke anything left over from dinner the night before - nothing wrong with a slice of pizza any time of day.
Peanut butter/nut butter or cream cheese on a bagel.
I can have an egg on toast ready to eat in 10 min (my husband timed me once).
Piece of toast.
I don't recommend poptarts for breakfast - it's more sugar than you can shake a stick at - but in a pinch it's better than nothing.
A glass of milk.
Oatmeal
A cheese stick
etc

It's not easy being a mama to headstrong kids, but I think you need to put your foot down on this.
Have a sit down talk - with the kids - with the doctor if necessary to back you up.
Explain that eating at certain times of the day is necessary - and some sort of breakfast is not optional.
If they have to wake up 20 min earlier, or make something the night before before going to bed - what ever - but they are NOT leaving the house before eating or drinking a little something.
Period.

Sounds like hypoglycemia to me. I've had it my whole life. No underlying cause. Protein is key. Make sure she has protein every couple of hours. I always have a protein bar in my purse in case I don't have easy access to food or need a non-perishable. Otherwise, good options are peanut butter, milk, cheese, nuts. High-fat foods are also good because they're not processed as quickly.

I am hypoglycemic. My sister is type I diabetic (Dx age 12).

Found no underlying cause for mine. Just manage with staying away from sugary things, starting day with protein, and keeping a snack handy. I'm sure there is enough new research to figure out why, but it wouldn't change out come of how to manage it.

My middle child was suffering from bouts of low blood sugar when he was four. I was frightened that it was an early symptom of type I diabetes. It was not. The pediatrician just told me he needs to eat more frequently and make better food choices (include more protein). Since we have kept him on an eating 'schedule' he has been fine. No occurrence in the last 7 years.

Perhaps having her eat a more protein filled bed time snack will help her? Or maybe waking her up earlier so that she can be functional to eat something before that window of her blood sugar starts dropping?

This is probably old news, but when I was in my 20's (sigh..I don't even want to put what decade, but a long, long time ago) a nearby hospital got a grant for diabetes research. It was looking for the islets (don't know which specific) but I had them (even though I'm hypoglycemic) and thus concluded I would not be type I diabetic.

Talk to your pediatrician about this, have her eat more frequently, and include more protein in her meals.

B.,

She's 7. Her body is changing.

Stop forcing food on her. Offer her something LIGHT to eat. Not everyone can eat the minute they wake up.

For years I was hypoglycemic. Then babies happened and my body changed. I have to watch my blood sugar now. It sucks.

I would talk with her about the importance of having something small, but healthy to eat when she wakes up. Even if it's a glass of orange juice. And then let it be. She needs to know why you are up in arms over this. She needs to understand that you are concerned and don't want her to have health issues.

Good luck!

What is your daughter doing for 2-3 hours between waking up and eating? I get that she's not hungry, but she's doing something. I'd say that eating is required before she engages in anything other than going to the bathroom and perhaps getting dressed. She doesn't need a full meal, but she must have protein and some sort of healthy, long-lasting fat. A piece of string cheese, a scrambled egg, 4-6 ounces of yogurt, etc. No plain bagel, no sugar cereal alone. A quick 4 ounce glass of OJ might work in part, but a few sections of clementine or orange would be better (fiber and real fruit), and then immediate protein on top of that juice. She probably doesn't want oatmeal in the Florida summer heat, but that's a good thought going forward, especially with fruit on it. She may need to be a "grazer" with smaller meals/snacks, but they have to have some fat and protein in them. Fruit and veggies are okay, but they don't last long, and the fruit gives a quick sugar boost followed by a crash. Better if they have something extra: veggies dipped in substantial amounts of hummus, apples or celery with a good slather of peanut butter on them, etc.

Some of this is behavioral management - while you don't want to punish her, you don't want to give her 2-3 hours of sitting around, watching TV, using the computer, and getting so distracted that she forgets to eat. She has to eat. Period. She has symptoms and she cannot be allowed to ignore them.

Just because an underlying cause isn't found, doesn't mean there isn't one, you know? There are epigenetic changes in everybody, and sometimes those affect the blood sugar levels while in another person they cause digestive issues or even behavioral issues. So don't focus as much on the causes right now as on the management of the symptoms. I work in food science and we just give our kids (and ourselves) a balanced and patented shake of essential nutrients. If a kid only has half of it to start, fine. It can be finished later. It balances out a lot of blood sugar issues, but is also helps kids without that issue just get a good start to their day. Building healthy habits is really important.

Hello B., I didn't get a chance to read the other posts so hopefully this isn't repetitive. As someone who struggled with low BS years ago and had a son who did and as a holistic nutritionist now, yes you can have low BS without being diabetic. The SAD is a main contributing factor. Not having an appetite in the morn is one sign of low BS. If low BS is not addressed - over time it can lead to diabetes. The way to balance BS is with diet, thus the root cause is what we eat. Meals should be higher in fat, moderate amounts of protein and lower in carbs. Carbs should be whole form such as from fruit, veggies, small amounts of whole grains such as quinoa, not pasta and bread. Starting the day with a protein rich and quality fat breakfast is key. Skip the juice. If you have any questions let me know. K. Tru foods nutrition services LLC

I tend to be hypoglycemic when I am slim. I just tried to have access to a snack if my blood sugar dropped and I felt like I was going to pass out. A Coke and peanut butter crackers worked well.

There was not an underlying cause - it was just my body telling me that I needed food - now!

Updated

I tend to be hypoglycemic when I am slim. I just tried to have access to a snack if my blood sugar dropped and I felt like I was going to pass out. A Coke and peanut butter crackers worked well.

There was not an underlying cause - it was just my body telling me that I needed food - now!