Original Research Paper

Incidence Of Hypoglycemia In Healthy Neonates In First Hour Of Life, And Its Recurrence At 24 Hours

  Abstract :

OBJECTIVE : To determine the incidence of hypoglycemia in neonates in the first hour of life, and risk factors for hypoglycemia in these babies, and to determine recurrence of hypoglycemia in those hypoglycemic initially.METHODS : During the study period of 9 months, all neonates delivered were included, whose parents gave informed consent for the study. 504 neonates were included in this study, from Travancore Medical College, Kollam. Those neonates who developed sepsis or respiratory distress needing oxygen, or were otherwise sick and hence were shifted to NICU within the first 24 hours, and those who were premature < 32 weeks of gestation, were excluded. Hypoglycemia was defined as blood glucose value less than 47 mg/dl, in this study. Blood glucose was estimated at 1 hour, and then a repeat measurement at 24 hours for those neonates who were hypoglycemic in the first hour.RESULTS : 23.8% of neonates in post-natal ward developed hypoglycemia in the first 1 hour after birth. 13% of those who were hypoglycemic initially, developed hypoglycemia at 24 hours also. None had severe hypoglycemia. 1.98% (8.3% of total hypoglycemic neonates) had symptomatic hypoglycemia. Infants of diabetic mothers (p - 0.006), mothers with gestational hypertension, neonates small for gestational age and male gender (p - 0.015) were associated with increased incidence of hypoglycemia in this study.CONCLUSION : All neonates need close monitoring for hypoglycemia in the first 24 hours, especially low birth weight infants and infants of diabetic mothers.

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