Children's HI Fund - GOSH
HI is a rare endocrine condition affecting approximately 1:35000 babies in the UK alone.
The majority of children with HI are diagnosed at or very soon after birth. Other children are diagnosed within their first year when the HI doesn't seem as aggressive.
In HI the body’s pancreas produces too much of the hormone insulin. As insulin is the main hormone controlling the blood sugar level these babies are liable to very low levels. Since the brain is constantly dependent on a normal blood sugar level this increases the risk of brain damage if the levels are not managed properly.
This can sometimes be controlled by medication or is unresponsive to that then surgery is likely where a pancreatectomy is performed removing part or all of the pancreas.
The aftercare management of HI is complicated, whether medically controlled or post pancreatectomy.