October 2017

If your child has diabetes, it’s important to check his or her blood-sugar levels regularly:

• Before meals and at bedtime, a minimum of four times a day.
• If you suspect your child has a low blood-sugar level.
• Before and after your child exercises.
• When your child is ill.
• Two hours after the start of a meal, if results from before the meal don’t match HbA1c.
• During the night. (This is particularly important if your child had a low blood-sugar level during the day, exercised more than usual, made a change in the insulin dose or has been ill.)

A healthcare professional will teach you and your child how to properly use a blood-glucose meter. Remember to:

• Wash hands with soap and water. Make sure the finger is dry before obtaining the blood sample, as wet fingers can alter the value.
• Prick the side of the fingertip. The forearm also can be pricked with certain meters using a lancet device. Do not use the forearm if you suspect a low blood sugar or when the blood sugar is rapidly changing, such as after meals or exercise.
• Insert strip into meter.
• Obtain a drop of blood.
• Apply the drop of blood to a test strip.
• Read the result and enter it in a logbook.
• Bring the meter and logbook to all doctor visits

Your child’s doctor will give you a suggested target range for your child’s glucose reading, depending on age and other factors.

Source: University of California San Francisco’s Benioff Children’s Hospital