The dawn phenomenon consists of a rise in plasma glucose levels or insulin requirements in the early morning. This phenomenon has been observed in normal adults and in patients with diabetes mellitus. To determine whether this phenomenon also occurs in normal children and adolescents, we evaluated plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, and growth hormone levels during the early morning in 31 normal children between the ages of 8 and 18 yr. Blood samples were obtained through an indwelling catheter every 20 min for growth hormone and hourly for glucose, insulin, and C-peptide from 2100 to 0900 h. Glucose levels decreased slowly overnight from 2100 to 0900 h, despite increases in growth hormone levels. No significant rise in insulin or C-peptide levels was detected in the early morning in these normal subjects. There were no signficant differences between prepubertal and pubertal children. We conclude that glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels remain stable overnight, suggesting that the dawn phenomenon is not observed in normal children.
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Original Articles|
May 01 1988
Absence of Dawn Phenomenon in Normal Children and Adolescents
Gabriela Marin, MD;
Gabriela Marin, MD
Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland
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Susan R Rose, MD;
Susan R Rose, MD
Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland
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Maral Kibarian, BA;
Maral Kibarian, BA
Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland
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Kevin Barnes, BS;
Kevin Barnes, BS
Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland
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Fernando Cassorla, MD
Fernando Cassorla, MD
Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Gabriela Marin, Building 10, Room 10 N 262, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Citation
Gabriela Marin, Susan R Rose, Maral Kibarian, Kevin Barnes, Fernando Cassorla; Absence of Dawn Phenomenon in Normal Children and Adolescents. Diabetes Care 1 May 1988; 11 (5): 393–396. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.11.5.393
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