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Am J Perinatol 2006; 23(2): 115-120
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-931912
Copyright © 2006 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Population Meta-Analysis of Low Plasma Glucose Thresholds in Full-Term Normal Newborns

Arie L. Alkalay1 , Harvey B. Sarnat2 , Laura Flores-Sarnat2 , Janet D. Elashoff3 , Sergio J. Farber4 , Charles F. Simmons1
  • 1Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Ahmanson Pediatric Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
  • 2Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Canada
  • 3Biostatistics Core
  • 4Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
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Publication History

Publication Date:
14 February 2006 (online)

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ABSTRACT

There is extreme variation in the definition of low plasma glucose levels in newborn infants in the first postnatal days, ranging from < 30 to ≤ 60 mg/dL. The goal of the present study was to define low thresholds (≤ 5th percentile) of plasma glucose concentrations in full-term normal newborns during the first 72 hours of life. Population meta-analysis was performed on published studies of neonatal hypoglycemia ascertained by MedLine search. One-way analysis of variance was computed across the studies for each of the following four postnatal time periods: 1 to 2 (physiological nadir), 3 to 23, 24 to 47, and 48 to 72 hours. The estimated ≤ 5th percentiles of neonatal hypoglycemia during 1 to 2, 3 to 23, 24 to 47, and 48 to 72 hours after birth were ≤ 28, ≤ 40, ≤ 41, and ≤ 48 mg/dL, respectively. Based on this statistical definition, we recommend that low thresholds of plasma glucose levels of 28, 40, and 48 mg/dL be adopted in full-term normal newborns at 1 to 2, 3 to 47, and 48 to 72 hours of life, respectively.

KEYWORDS

Neonatal hypoglycemia - plasma glucose threshold - population meta-analysis

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Arie L AlkalayM.D. 

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd., Room 4310, Los Angeles, CA 90048

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