Kalpana Kalpana (Editor)

Neonatal hypoglycemia

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MedlinePlus
  
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eMedicine
  
article/802334

Neonatal hypoglycemia is a condition of decreased blood sugar or hypoglycemia in a neonate. Untreated low blood sugar levels in newborn children poses a higher risk for injury to the brain that could lead to developmental problems later in life. Such children are often admitted to neonatal units for active treatment, resulting in separation from the mother and inadequate breast feeding during this time.

Contents

Causes

Neonatal hypoglycemia can be found in the following conditions:

Decreased substrate availability
  • Intrauterine growth retardation
  • Prematurity
  • Inborn errors of metabolism (e.g. fructose intolerance)
  • Glycogen storage disease
  • Prolonged fasting without IV glucose
    • Hyperinsulinemia
  • Infant of diabetic mother
  • Erythroblastosis fetalis
  • Exchange transfusion
  • Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome
  • Islet cell hyperplasia
  • Maternal ß-mimetic tocolytic agents
  • High umbilical arterial catheter
  • Abrupt cessation of IV glucose
    • Other endocrine abnormalities
  • Pan-hypopituitarism
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Adrenal insufficiency
    • Increased glucose utilization
  • Cold stress
  • Neonatal infection
  • Increased work of breathing
  • Perinatal asphyxia
    • Other conditions
  • Polycythemia
  • Congenital heart disease
  • CNS abnormalities

    • Treatment

    40% dextrose (a form of sugar) gel applied directly to the infant's mouth is a simple and effective treatment to improve the sugar levels. This also helps keeping mothers and infants together, and improving the rate of full breast feeding at the time of discharge from hospital.

    References

    Neonatal hypoglycemia Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA