[Hypoglycemia in childhood].

Abstract

The article reviews the history of hypoglycaemia in children, documenting its importance in the genesis of neurological damage while attacking conventional dogmas on postnatal changes and the definitions of hypoglycaemia. A great deal of further research needs to be performed on the levels of blood glucose leading to "functional" neurological changes, as well as further research on the effects of hypoglycaemia on NMDA receptors. Of greatest practical importance would be new and better monitoring techniques to obtain more precise biochemical data that are instantly available to the clinical staff at the bedside. Finally, modern technology can be applied in defining one particular cause of what may be regarded as "idiopathic hypoglycaemia". A knowledge of basic biochemical processes can be used to predict patterns of metabolite profiles which are pathognomonic of the underlying disease.