All issues > Volume 34(4); 1991

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1991;34(4):480-486. Published online April 30, 1991.

The etiologies and the clinical manifestations of hypoglycemia in infancy and childhood.

Nam Seon Beck¹, Dong Joo Shin¹, Heon Seok Han¹, Sei Won Yang¹, Hyung Ro Moon¹

¹Department of Pediatrics Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Received: September 29, 1990;  Accepted: November 30, 1990.

Abstract

To analysis age at onset, clinical manifestations, etiologies, complication and management of hypoglycemia, the authors reviewed seventeen cases of hypoglycemia who were admitted to Seoul National University Children’s Hospital because of hypoglycemic symtoms from March, 1982 to February, 1990. In neonate group, which included five patients, their initial symtoms were apnea, cyanosis, sweating and hand rigidity, with the causes of two hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemias, one Rh incompatibility and one the product of DM mother, but one case had no causative factors. In infant group, which included six patients who presented with seizures exclusively, the etiologies were five hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemias and one primary adrenal insuficiency, and the other group (over one year of age), which included six patients, presented with seizures except one case who presented with drowsiness initially, the etiologies in this group were four ketotic hypoglycemias, one hyperin- sulinemic hypoglycemia and one growth hormone deficiency. There were eight hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia cases in this review, all of them presented initially with seizure and six cases were associated with mild to moderate developmental delay. Six cases out of eight underwent near- total(95%) pacreatectomy with improvement of hypoglycemia but two cases showed persistent seizure and developmental delay. The above results suggest the importance of early detection and managment of hypoglycemia in infancy and childhood.

Keywords :Hypoglycemia