Diet coke and young kids

[Adrienne]

Hiya

Yep Bev's right. Much better to protect the brain than the teeth. If you use a straw however there is the chance that it is going straight down the throat rather than hanging around the teeth, most of it anyway.

Juice is not always great for hypos. If it works for the moment, great but it could stop work or not work quick enough.

We can't use juice at all or any other squash etc. The bubbles do help and coke and lucozade are like putting a drip into a vein, even medical professionals at GOSH have told me that !

Unfortunately it matters not how old the child is as to how much quick acting carbs are used. You just get the feel for what works well for your child. If my daughter is 3.5 and above (under 4 though) she has half a can of long acting coke, ie about 7 or 8 cho. If she is under 2.5 ish then she may well need two cokes or 1.5 cokes so between 23 and 30 cho, inbetween that and one can (small party sized can) is perfect and is 15 cho.

 

[LouiseB]

I'm not worried about whiteness of teeth so much as cavities!! He drinks through a straw which bypasses his teeth more or less anyway. Will bear in mind what you say about fructose VS glucose but coke contains sucrose which also needs breaking down into glucose. Anyway whatever works!!

 

[LouiseB]

Just to clarify I only give juice to treat a hypo so I would called 85 mls to treat the odd hypo lots but I get your point.

 

[LouiseB]

Re above reply was in referenc to Grahames mum comment.

 

[bev]

I'm not worried about whiteness of teeth so much as cavities!! He drinks through a straw which bypasses his teeth more or less anyway. Will bear in mind what you say about fructose VS glucose but coke contains sucrose which also needs breaking down into glucose. Anyway whatever works!!

Hi Louise

As long as you give water after drinking coke or similar - the damage to teeth is negligable compared to possible brain damage.🙂Bev

 

[LouiseB]

Hi Louise

As long as you give water after drinking coke or similar - the damage to teeth is negligable compared to possible brain damage.🙂Bev

Tbh I think your references to brain damage are a bit alarmist. I will certainly be aware that juice may one day not work and if I need to use fizzy coke in the middle of the night then I will but in the meanwhile I don't think it necessary and I think that most kids would find a drink of apple juice more palatable than fizzy coke or lucozadd but each to their own.

 

[bev]

Tbh I think your references to brain damage are a bit alarmist. I will certainly be aware that juice may one day not work and if I need to use fizzy coke in the middle of the night then I will but in the meanwhile I don't think it necessary and I think that most kids would find a drink of apple juice more palatable than fizzy coke or lucozadd but each to their own.

Hi Louise,

I am sorry you feel that way. But the truth of the matter is that if a hypo deteriorates to a level that means fits or siezure or worse - then that is a reality, and although it is not nice to hear, it is what may happen if a particular treatment does not work. If the brain is deprived of glucose for any length of time it starts to deteriorate and damage occurs. If your child is not used to drinking fizzy drinks then this might come as a shock if there is an emergency situation - so I would recommend trying a diet coke or similar as the texture is very different to a 'flat' drink.🙂Bev

 

[LouiseB]

Hi Louise,

I am sorry you feel that way. But the truth of the matter is that if a hypo deteriorates to a level that means fits or siezure or worse - then that is a reality, and although it is not nice to hear, it is what may happen if a particular treatment does not work. If the brain is deprived of glucose for any length of time it starts to deteriorate and damage occurs. If your child is not used to drinking fizzy drinks then this might come as a shock if there is an emergency situation - so I would recommend trying a diet coke or similar as the texture is very different to a 'flat' drink.🙂Bev

Yes i am aware that a severe hypo if left untreated can result in seizures etc. but that would be a (hopefully!) extremely rare event. Yes quite, fizzy drinks are very different to flat and hard to guzzle quickly - have tried him with diet coke as often the only option when out apart from water but he will not tolerate it!

 

[bev]

Yes i am aware that a severe hypo if left untreated can result in seizures etc. but that would be a (hopefully!) extremely rare event. Yes quite, fizzy drinks are very different to flat and hard to guzzle quickly - have tried him with diet coke as often the only option when out apart from water but he will not tolerate it!

Hi Louise,

Have you tried letting the coke go flat - sometimes this is more palatable if a child doesnt like fizzy drinks - but means they are getting the 'quick' glucose when they need it.🙂Bev

 

[Northerner]

This thread seems to have diverged quite a lot from the original post, which was about a comment about diet drinks and not what is a suitable hypo treatment, which has been discussed at great length elsewhere sp I will close this thread now. Thanks to everyone for their input - clearly some divergence of opinion.