daughter and low blood sugar (long post sorry)

[gingertoni]

I really wasn't sure which section to put this post, nut hopefully I have put it in the right place.

My kids have both had bouts of sickness over the last week ish, my daughter had days of eating then days of vomitting again, which has not been fun.
She is 1 and covers her mouth when sick so it goes everywhere. Tuesday morning she fitted, (she has been very well since birth, other than the normal bugs).
We took her to hosital and they said her blood sugar leve was low, they gave her a gel to bring it up, but it dropped slightly after and she fitted again and they had to give her sugar via an IV, they also said she was a bit dehydrated, although she had been drinking loads.
They found keytones in her urine, which they were concearned about and said that she probaly had some underlying condition which has been aggravated by the sickness/vomitting.
After IV fluids\sugar and eating properly she has now been discharged from hospital, but is now under investigation, with the NHS that means come back in 8 weeks!
They will then discuss the test results etc.

I am terrified somewhere along the lines it is lupus linked. (I did ask the dr and she said it wasnt a condition she had in mind but they would test her at some point).
Has anyone any idea what the condition they had in mind is it diabetes?

On a seperate thing she had a rash all over her torso a few weeks ago, which when I took her to the GP said it was a bit like a measle rash, but she wasn't ill enough for measles, (she recovered very quickly from being ill, tired etc), and the rash disappeared with a day or so.
I am now being paraniod should I have asked if it was a lupus rash? (I didn't think at the time).
Should I get my daughter referred to my rheamuy anyway?

[cath]

Hi Toni,

Sorry both your little ones have been sick - it must have been exhausting for you:( .

I'm no paediatrician, so may be way off here, but I'm guessing the concerns with your baby's blood sugar are about diabetes. Not that a low blood sugar and ketones in the urine mean she has it - just that they want to make sure she doesn't. As far as I'm aware, low blood sugar isn't a typical lupus symptom.

A mild rash is a rather common symptom from several viral illnesses in kids, mostly it is impossible to pin point exactly what has caused it, and typically it goes away in a day. Has she been vaccinated against measles? It is possible to get measles even if a child has been vaccinated, and you'de expect them that it would be very mild indeed, so maybe she did indeed have measles. My sister did as a toddler, and she was much less sick than her two playmates who also had measles but hadn't been vaccinated.

Others may have different ideas, but at this point I wouldn't worry about lupus in your daughter or the need to see a rheumy for her. If the hospital appointment finds anything abnormal, you can ask their advice about it.Of course if you are concerned in the mean time, speak to your GP.

X C X

[gingertoni]

I don't think that she has had her MMR jab (something I need to find out), someone mentioned to me today the rash may have been german measles, which only last a day or so and you aren't as ill with, it is not as common as it used to be with most children being vaccinated.
Someone also mentioned about hypoglycaemia, as apposed to diabetes, which might be what the doctors are considering.

[BigSis]

Hi Toni,
Hypoglygeamia means low blood sugar and can be a common symptom in babies. it can cause fits as can dehydration and/or fever.
Diabetes presents with a high blood sugar. You only get a low blood sugar in diabetes because of the insulin.
I'm sorry I can't be of more help but if she's well now and eating try not to worry too much.It there a paediatric assessment unit at your hospital where she can be 'fast - tracked' to be seen if it happens again?
I'm afraid I still don't know much about lupus in adults let alone babies it must be a very specialist field.
Good luck let us know how you get on
BigSis x

[ALWIN]

I agree with Bigsis in that she is unlikely to have diabetes with a low blood sugar. It is pretty normal after a lot of vomiting. Not enough insulin = high blood sugar = diabetes.

One of my children was in a similar state at a similar age (vomiting / rash) and simply had a virus that gave him febrile convulsions (fits).

The first time it happened we flew to A & E because I knew it was a febrile convulsion, but could not get his temperature down. He was immediately treated for meningitis when we arrrived because of the way he was holding his body (still in a fit) - back arched, neck extended. He did not have meningitis, and despite fitting on and off for over 3 hours, was not brain damaged afterwards either!!!

He just did not tolerate his temperature going up much at all and promptly responded by vomiting and fitting. He never did it again becasue I was extremely prompt with the Calpol from that point. No problems now, though.

Sometimes children can have pyloric stenosis too (though that would not account for a rash). That used to be rectified by either medication or a simple operation, but I am very out of date. It happens when the little sphincter muscle at the base of the stomach is too tight to allow food to go down, so the food sits in the stomach until it is expelled upwards instead (kind of).

[gingertoni]

...Is there a paediatric assessment unit at your hospital where she can be 'fast - tracked' to be seen if it happens again?

Yes it has been left open with the ward she was in that we can contact them direct if she has any further problems. Which is a bit of a relief. She vomitted again during the night, but we have tried to keep her fluids\food\sugars up Today, think we are going to be over sensative for a while with her.