What should parents know about managing diabetes during growth spurts?
Blood sugar running higher than usual? A growth spurt could be playing a role. Here’s what to keep an eye on.
Growing up comes with plenty of changes. For children with diabetes, this can include changes in blood sugar and insulin needs, too.
Chad McRae, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician with Nemours Children’s Health, answers your top questions about managing diabetes during growth spurts.
How do growth spurts affect blood sugar levels?
Growth spurts cause hormones, such as growth hormone, to surge. This makes the body's cells less responsive to insulin and can lead to unexpected high blood sugar levels, Dr. McRae says.
That change in insulin sensitivity can make your child's usual diabetes routine less predictable. An insulin dose that worked well before a growth spurt may not work the same way as your child's body changes.
What are the signs that your child's insulin needs may be changing?
One of the first signs that your child's insulin needs are changing is a pattern of blood sugar readings that are higher than usual. According to Dr. McRae, parents should watch for:
- Persistently high blood sugar levels
- Blood sugar levels that stay high despite regular corrections
- Unexplained high readings that last for several days
Parents may also notice unexplained high readings after meals or sudden low readings during activity or overnight.
Some children may need 1.5 to 2 times their previous daily insulin dose, and that shift can occur within a few days to a couple of weeks, Dr. McRae says.
If you notice one or more of these signs over several days, reach out to your child's diabetes care team. If you need to find a new physician or specialist for your child, start by browsing AvMed’s list of in-network providers.
How can increased appetite during a growth spurt affect diabetes management?
During a growth spurt, it's normal for children to seem hungrier than usual. They may ask for larger portions, more snacks, or additional meals throughout the day.
This increased food intake can complicate blood sugar control, Dr. McRae says. The hormonal shifts driving growth also cause insulin resistance, making blood sugar levels harder to predict and manage.
Changes in blood sugar during a growth spurt may not be tied to just one factor. Your child may be eating more while their body is also responding differently to insulin. That can make it harder to tell whether a change in blood sugar is related to food, growth, or both.
How can parents safely adjust their child's diabetes management plan during a growth spurt?
Tracking blood sugar patterns over several days and staying in touch with your child's care team can help you better understand what's changing.
If your child's blood sugar levels are shifting, it may be tempting to make adjustments right away. However, these trends can provide more useful information than focusing on a single reading.
Dr. McRae recommends tracking blood sugar trends and consulting your child's pediatric endocrinology team before making permanent changes.
Keeping track of when high and low blood sugar readings occur can help identify patterns and give your child's care team a clearer picture of what's happening.
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When should parents contact their child's diabetes care team?
You should never hesitate to reach out to your child's diabetes care team with questions or concerns. However, Dr. McRae advises parents to pay extra attention to these warning signs:
- High blood sugar levels that remain elevated despite insulin increases
- Moderate to high ketones
- Signs of illness or vomiting
- Unintentional weight loss
Contacting your child's care team early can help you get guidance on next steps and determine whether adjustments to your child's diabetes management plan may be needed.
Meet the expert: Chad McRae, MD, FAAP is a pediatrician and associate chief at Nemours Children's Health. He is also an assistant professor and clinical preceptor at the UCF College of Medicine and serves as co-chair of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FCAAP) Section on Obesity & Nutrition.
