Eating for Blood Sugar Stability: The Importance of Pre-Activity Snacks for Children with Type 1 Diabetes

a school age child with type 1 diabetes mellitus has soccer practice and the school nurse provides instructions regarding how to prevent hypoglycemia during practice. what should the school nurse tell the child to do?a. eat twice the amount normally eaten at lunch time b. take half the amount of prescribed insulin on practice days c. take the prescribed insulin at noontime rather than in the morning. d. eat a small box of raisins or drink a cup of orange juice before soccer practice

D. EAT A SMALL BOX OF RAISINS OR DRINK A CUP OF ORANGE JUICE BEFORE SOCCER PRACTICE

The school nurse should tell the child to option d: eat a small box of raisins or drink a cup of orange juice before soccer practice. This is because when someone with type 1 diabetes participates in physical activity, their blood sugar level can drop, which can lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

Eating a small snack that contains carbohydrates, like a small box of raisins or a cup of orange juice, can help to prevent hypoglycemia during physical activity by providing the body with the fuel it needs to keep blood sugar levels stable. However, it’s important to note that the child should still monitor their blood sugar level closely during and after soccer practice, and adjust their insulin dosage or snack intake if necessary.

Option a (eating twice the amount normally eaten at lunch time) is not recommended, as overeating can cause blood sugar levels to rise too high and lead to hyperglycemia. Option b (taking half the amount of prescribed insulin on practice days) is also not recommended, as insulin dosage should not be adjusted without first checking with the child’s healthcare provider. Option c (taking the prescribed insulin at noontime rather than in the morning) may be appropriate in some cases but should be discussed with the child’s healthcare provider to determine if it is appropriate for their specific needs.

More Answers: