Severe Lows and Emergencies

Severe lows are uncommon, particularly in children treated with tablets. But every parent should know this before it is needed, and it should be written down where anyone in the house can find it.

A severe low means your baby is unresponsive, having a seizure, or unable to swallow safely.

1. Do not put anything in their mouth. No milk, no sugar water, no gel, no finger. It can go into the lungs.
2. Turn your baby onto their side, so that anything in the mouth drains out rather than being breathed in.
3. Get emergency help immediately — call an ambulance or go straight to hospital, whichever is faster where you live.
4. If your team has provided glucagon and trained you to give it, give it now, exactly as you were shown.
5. Note the time and, if you can do it without delaying anything, check the glucose.

Glucagon is an injection that raises blood sugar quickly. It is not automatically supplied for infants, and doses for babies differ from adult doses — so ask your team whether your child should have it at home, and if so, be shown how and when.

Prepare in advance rather than in the moment:

• Write the emergency steps on one page and stick it where everyone can see it.
• Have the hospital's number and address saved on every phone in the house.
• Know now which hospital to go to at night, and how you would get there.
• Make sure anyone who looks after your baby has read the page.

After any severe low, contact your team even once your baby has recovered. Something in the treatment needs to change.