Blood glucose levels in a population of healthy, breast fed, term infants of appropriate size for gestational age
Eva Hosetha, Annemette Joergensena, Finn Ebbesenb, Margrethe Moellera
a Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aalborg Hospital, Denmark, b Department of Neonatology
Correspondence to: Dr Joergensen, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Aalborg Hospital, P O Box 56, 9100 Aalborg, Denmark email: U30132{at}ass.nja.dk
Accepted 27 March 2000
AIM
To determine blood
glucose levels in a population of healthy, breast fed, term infants of
appropriate size for gestational age.
METHODSIn a cross
sectional study, the blood glucose concentration of 223 healthy, breast
fed, term infants of appropriate size for gestational age was
determined at different times (between one and 96 hours) after
delivery. One sample of blood glucose was taken from each infant
independent of the feeding time. The glucose concentration was
correlated with sex, method of delivery, delivery with or without
analgesia, smoking status of the mother, gestational age, umbilical
cord pH, and Apgar score. Infants suspected of suffering from
intrapartum hypoxia were excluded.
RESULTSBlood glucose
concentration one hour after delivery was not significantly lower than
at any other time. Only two infants had low blood glucose
concentrations one hour after delivery (1.4 and 1.9 mmol/l). There were
no significant differences in blood glucose concentration between
sexes, methods of delivery, infants delivered with or without
analgesia, and infants born to smokers or non-smokers, and there was no
further correlation between blood glucose concentration and gestational
age, umbilical cord pH, or Apgar score.
DISCUSSIONVery few
healthy, breast fed, term infants of appropriate size for gestational
age have low blood glucose levels, and there is no indication for blood
glucose monitoring in these infants.
Keywords: blood; glucose concentration; appropriate for gestational age; hypoglycaemia
© 2000 by Archives of Disease in Childhood
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