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Contribution of the blood glucose level in perinatal asphyxia

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Abstract

This is a comparative study between 60 asphyxiated newborns (cases) and 60 normal neonates (controls) in respect of their plasma glucose and uric acid levels and also their clinical and neurological status. The mean plasma glucose level was significantly lower (35.1 ± 11.4 mg/dl vs. 56.9 ± 5.5 mg/dl; P < 0.001) and the mean serum uric acid level was higher (8.0 ± 1.2 mg/dl vs. 4.5 ± 0.83 mg/dl; P < 0.001) in the asphyxiated group when compared to the controls. Within the perinatal asphyxia group, the plasma glucose level and Apgar scores showed a significant positive linear correlation (r = 0.740, P < 0.001), whereas a significant negative linear correlation was observed between the glucose level and different stages of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) (r = −0.875, P < 0.001). Although a strong positive linear correlation was found between uric acid and HIE stages (r = 0.734, P ≤ 0.001), the linear correlation between uric acid and Apgar scores (r = −0.885, P < 0.001) and uric acid and the plasma glucose level (r = −0.725, P < 0.001) were found to be significantly negative among the cases. Conclusion: The severity of encephalopathy and cellular damage varies with the severity of hypoglycemia.

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Abbreviations

ADP:

Adenosine diphosphate

AMP:

Adenosine monophosphate

ATP:

Adenosine triphosphate

CBF:

Cerebral blood flow

CP:

Cerebral palsy

EEG:

Electro-encephalography

GOD-POD:

Glucose oxidase–peroxidase

HIE:

Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SPSS:

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

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Acknowledgments

Mr. B. B. Mukherjee, Statistician, Department of Community Medicine, Burdwan Medical College, helped in carrying out the statistical analysis, Dr. Mousumi Tripathi helped in compiling the data, and Mr. M. K. Basu helped in structuring and formatting the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Pallab Basu.

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Basu, P., Som, S., Choudhuri, N. et al. Contribution of the blood glucose level in perinatal asphyxia. Eur J Pediatr 168, 833–838 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-008-0844-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-008-0844-5

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