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The Curious Bag
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The glycated hemoglobin level, or A1c, is a laboratory blood test that measures the extra glucose in a child's blood from the previous 60 to 90 days. An A1c reading is written as the percentage of the hemoglobin molecules that have glucose bound to them.
Baseline
Most children have an A1c between four and six percent. Children with diabetes tend to have higher A1c readings.
Target
According to the American Diabetes Association, children with diabetes under 6 years of age should have an A1c of 7.5 to 8.5 percent. Six to 12-year old children should maintain A1c values under 8 percent, and 13 to 19-year-old children should stay below 7.5 percent.
Tip
According to the University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital, A1c readings vary from one lab to the next so it's a good idea to use the same laboratory consistently.
Home Readings
The A1c can be compared to blood glucose levels measured at home with a glucometer and finger stick tests. An A1c of 8.0 translates to a blood glucose of 205.
Significance
When a doctor diagnoses a child with diabetes, she will order regular A1c tests to plan the child's diet and insulin regimens. The challenge is to maintain a low A1c without causing dangerous episodes of low blood glucose.
Source:
Children with Diabetes: HbA1c Measurement
UCSF Children's Hospital: HbA1c
American Diabetes Association: 2009 Clinical Practice Recommendations Summarized
More Information:
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