If your child has diabetes, it’s important to check his or her blood-sugar levels regularly:
•Before meals and at bedtime, a minimum of four times a day.
•If you suspect your child has a low blood-sugar level.
•Before and after your child exercises.
• When your child is ill.
•Two hours after the start of a meal, if results from before the meal don’t match HbA1c.
•During the night. (This is particularly important if your child had a low bloodsugar level during the day, exercised more than usual, made a change in the insulin dose or has been ill.)
A healthcare professional will teach you and your child how to properly use a blood glucose meter. Remember to:
• Wash hands with soap and water. Make sure the finger is dry before obtaining the blood sample, as wet fingers can alter the value.
•Prick the side of the fingertip. The forearm also can be pricked with certain meters using a lancet device. Do not use the forearm if you suspect low blood sugar or when the blood sugar is rapidly changing, such as after meals or exercise.
•Insert strip into meter.
•Obtain a drop of blood.
•Apply the drop of blood to a test strip.
•Read the result, and enter it in a logbook.
•Bring the meter and logbook to all doctor visits.
Your child’s doctor will give you a suggested target range for your child’s glucose reading, depending on age and other factors.
Source: University of California San Francisco’s Benioff Children’s Hospital
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Health Connection, Oct 2017
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