Ketones In Children: Causes And Treatment

Low blood sugar in children can cause the body to burn fat as an alternative energy source. This produces a substance in the body called ketone. Do you know what the symptoms of ketones in children are and how to treat it?

Causes of ketones in children

Ketones can occur in healthy children and in children with certain diseases.

In healthy children

• When the child has fasted for many hours. If the child has not eaten breakfast, or has had a late lunch, the blood sugar in the body may drop.
• Wrong nutrients. This can happen if the baby consumes too much fat or animal protein.

Ketones in children with certain diseases

• High fever. If the child has had a fever for a long time, the body has worked very hard.
• Vomiting. If the child has vomited several times, he or she eliminates too much sugar.
• Swallow catarrh. Because of the discomfort it causes, it prevents the child from eating food. It can also cause the baby to lose appetite, causing long fasting.

• Diabetes. Low blood sugar may occur due to delays in eating time. In type 1 diabetes, blood sugar can also rise due to lack of insulin in the body.

Symptoms of ketones in children

• Breath that smells of ripe apples. Ketones are excreted when you exhale. If your child produces ketones, his breath will smell of ripe apples.
• Urine with a very strong odor. When ketones are excreted through the urine, it gives off a very strong odor.
• Drowsiness, loss of appetite, nausea, paleness and vomiting. This is due to a very low blood sugar in both healthy children and children with diabetes.
• Dry mouth, digestive problems and irritability. This is due to a very high blood sugar. It occurs only in children with diabetes, and primarily those with type 1 diabetes, who are dependent on insulin. This is because of their lack of insulin, or because they are getting less than what they need.

How to treat it

Before these symptoms occur, it is important to consult your doctor to determine the appropriate treatment. Here are some general tips:

• Broom. In healthy children, avoid fatty foods and try to make fruit juices. In the case of children with diabetes who have high blood sugar, they should be given sugar-free fluids and avoid carbohydrates. For children with low blood sugar, give them liquid with sugar.

• Insulin. Children who have type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent) should make sure they are injecting the right dose.

• Rest. Both healthy children and children with diabetes should avoid exercising while there are ketones in their body. This is because their body will be forced to get energy from fats as there are no glucose reserves. Therefore, it will increase their ketone production.
• Samples. For healthy children, ketones can be measured in the body using urine samples. For children with diabetes, blood sugar should be measured using a blood glucose monitor.

Other good advice

Ketones are not a disease, but we recommend that parents be aware of whether it is present in their children’s body. The appearance of ketones is not serious if you act on time, but it is dangerous if it is present in large quantities or for a long time. 

This is because it can cause symptoms that can threaten the health of healthy children. For children who are already ill, it can affect their treatment.

It is important that you talk to your child’s doctor if any of these symptoms occur. This allows the doctor to examine your child’s health and make a treatment plan so that it does not cause problems in the future.