Hypoglycemic relapse in term infants treated with glucose infusion

Julie Sternberg, Riccardo E Pfister, Oliver Karam

Journal of Clinical Neonatology 2017 6(3):163-167

Background: Hypoglycemia, being a common, potentially serious problem in neonatology, is screened in at-risk newborzns. However, there is little evidence regarding the screening of hypoglycemic relapse after treatment by glucose infusion. Objectives: We aimed to determine whether measuring blood glucose levels 3, 6, and 9 h after weaning from glucose infusion is appropriate to detect hypoglycemic relapse. Methods: This is a single-center retrospective study (2005–2014) measuring the proportion of infants who experienced hypoglycemic relapse (glucose level <2.5 mmol/L) after withdrawal of glucose infusion as well as the "time to relapse" in a population of 129 consecutive patients treated with glucose infusion for severe or prolonged neonatal hypoglycemia. Results: No newborn (0%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0%–2.9%) had hypoglycemic relapse within the first 3 h after weaning from glucose infusion. Five infants (3.9%, 95% CI: 1.7%–8.8%) and three infants (2.3%, 95% CI: 0.8%–6.6%) had hypoglycemic relapse, respectively, 6 and 9 h after weaning. All relapses were of mild severity (blood glucose level: 2.0–2.5 mmol/L). Lower birth weight (BW) (P = 0.008) and small for gestational age (SGA) (P = 0.003) were associated with the increased risk of hypoglycemic relapse. Conclusions: In a population of term newborns presenting with hypoglycemia requiring glucose infusion, only a small proportion presented with mild hypoglycemia relapse after weaning from infusion, lower BW and SGA were the main risk factors. Future research should assess whether it is sufficient to control only at-risk infants for relapse after a progressive weaning from infusion.

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