Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Study of In Vivo Glucose Metabolism in High-fat Diet-fed Mice Using Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) and Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT)
08:13

Study of In Vivo Glucose Metabolism in High-fat Diet-fed Mice Using Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) and Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT)

Published on: January 7, 2018

Glucose metabolism in children: influence of age, fasting, and infectious diseases

Wilco C W R Zijlmans1, Anne A M W van Kempen, Mireille J Serlie

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Diakonessen Hospital, PO Box 1814, Paramaribo, Suriname (SA). cwrzijlmans@gmail.com

Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental
|June 9, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Hypoglycemia in young children is a serious complication with risks of brain damage. This review examines risk factors like age, fasting, and infection, comparing pediatric and adult glucose metabolism.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Disorders
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Hypoglycemia is a frequent and severe complication in young children.
  • It carries a significant risk of neurological damage and mortality.
  • Understanding risk factors is crucial for prevention and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the occurrence and impact of hypoglycemia in young children.
  • To discuss key risk factors: young age, fasting, and severe infectious disease.
  • To compare glucose metabolism in children with infectious disease to adults.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing studies on pediatric hypoglycemia.
  • Analysis of risk factors affecting glucose metabolism in children.
  • Comparative analysis of pediatric versus adult glucose metabolism data.

Main Results:

  • Young age, fasting, and severe infections are identified as significant risk factors for hypoglycemia.
  • Limited data exists on the specific effects of these factors on pediatric glucose metabolism.
  • Differences in glucose metabolism between children and adults under these conditions are highlighted.

Conclusions:

  • Hypoglycemia in young children requires vigilant avoidance due to severe consequences.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate glucose kinetics in children, especially during infectious diseases.
  • Comparative data suggests potential differences in metabolic responses between pediatric and adult populations.

More Related Videos

Intraperitoneal Glucose Tolerance Test, Measurement of Lung Function, and Fixation of the Lung to Study the Impact of Obesity and Impaired Metabolism on Pulmonary Outcomes08:30

Intraperitoneal Glucose Tolerance Test, Measurement of Lung Function, and Fixation of the Lung to Study the Impact of Obesity and Impaired Metabolism on Pulmonary Outcomes

Published on: March 15, 2018

Characterization of Metabolic Status in Nonhuman Primates with the Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test06:59

Characterization of Metabolic Status in Nonhuman Primates with the Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test

Published on: November 13, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses a challenge in...
Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism01:19

Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism

Carbohydrate metabolism is a fundamental biochemical process that ensures a constant supply of energy to living cells. The most important carbohydrate is glucose, which can be broken down via glycolysis to enter into the Krebs cycle and eventually lead to the production of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation.
Glucose transport into cells is facilitated by a family of transport proteins called GLUT (Glucose Transporters). GLUT4 is the primary glucose transporter for insulin-stimulated glucose...
Glucose Homeostasis: Regulation of Blood Glucose01:02

Glucose Homeostasis: Regulation of Blood Glucose

Carbohydrates consumed through foods are converted into glucose, a crucial energy source for the body. In the prandial state, high blood glucose levels stimulate the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin inhibits hepatic glucose production and stimulates glucose uptake and metabolism by muscle and adipose tissue. The excess glucose is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles.
During fasting, when blood glucose levels are low, the pancreas secretes glucagon. it...
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon01:15

Hypoglycemia and Glucagon

Without prolonged fasting, healthy individuals maintain blood glucose levels above 3.5 mM due to a well-adapted neuroendocrine counterregulatory system that effectively prevents acute hypoglycemia, a potentially life-threatening condition. The primary clinical scenarios for hypoglycemia encompass diabetes treatment, inappropriate production of endogenous insulin or insulin-like substances by tumors, and the use of glucose-lowering agents in non-diabetic individuals. Notably, hypoglycemia in the...
Glucose Transporters01:27

Glucose Transporters

Glucose transporters facilitate the transport of glucose across the cell membrane. In addition to glucose, some glucose transporters can also aid the movement of other hexoses such as fructose, mannose, and galactose.
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications01:15

Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications

For most patients, experiencing several weeks of polyuria, polydipsia, fatigue, and significant weight loss may indicate the presence of diabetes. Furthermore, adults displaying the phenotypic appearance of type 2 diabetes (particularly those who are obese and not initially insulin-requiring), may have islet cell autoantibodies, suggesting autoimmune-mediated β cell destruction and a diagnosis of latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA). The categorization of glucose homeostasis is based on...