Defense Against Hypoglycemia: Normal Fasting Adaptation in Children

Abstract

Children require a constant source of fuel to maintain proper functioning of the body, especially the brain. The primary fuel is glucose. A normal plasma glucose level is the same for humans of all ages: 70–100 mg/dL (3.9–5.5 mmol/L). When a child eats, glucose is released from digestion of carbohydrates and sugars and then absorbed into the circulation to be used immediately for energy, stored as glycogen in the liver, or converted to fat for storage in adipose tissue. After 2–3 h, the ingested glucose is depleted.