Monosaccharide intolerance and hypoglycemia in infants with diarrhea. II. Metabolic studies in 23 infants
Lifshitz, F.; Coello-Ramírez, P.; Gutiérrez-Topete, G.
Journal of Pediatrics 77(4): 604-612
1970
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3476 PMID: 5465912 Document Number: 18937
During acute diarrhoea the infants were unable to tolerate periods of brief starvation and developed hypoglycaemia between feedings at intervals of 4 h, but blood sugar values were normal after the diarrhoea improved and during the time they tolerated carbohydrates given by mouth. The nutritional state of the infants did not seem to be the principal factor in the development of hypoglycaemia but lack of response to adrenaline and glucagon indicated that liver glycogen stores played a role. Of the infants, 2 with normal and 5 with low blood sugar values were sensitive to loads of calcium caseinate by mouth. After glucose was given by vein blood sugar fell progressively until very low values were reached again.