What symptom is likely exhibited by a toddler with hyperglycemia?

In the context of hyperglycemia, toddlers may exhibit a range of symptoms due to elevated blood sugar levels. One of the hallmark symptoms is excessive thirst, also known as polydipsia. This occurs because high blood sugar can cause the body to pull fluid from cells to help dilute the glucose in the bloodstream, leading to dehydration. As a result, the toddler may continually seek out fluids to quench this thirst.

Lethargy, while it can occur in cases of severe hyperglycemia or dehydration, is not specifically indicative of hyperglycemia itself in the way that extreme thirst is. Although irritability can be associated with various conditions, it is not as directly tied to high blood sugar levels as extreme thirst. Increased appetite, often seen in some metabolic disorders, may not be a reliable sign in toddlers with hyperglycemia and is not as commonly reported as excessive thirst.

Thus, extreme thirst serves as a more definitive and characteristic symptom of hyperglycemia, particularly in children, making it the most likely symptom to exhibit in this situation.