Prevalence and Risk Factors of Neonatal Hypoglycemia

Abstract

Background: The most frequent metabolic issue seen in newborn nurseries and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is hypoglycemia. One of the most important chemical markers of an underlying condition is a low blood glucose level. Even while most episodes of hypoglycemia are caused by normal adaptation to life outside the womb and are not linked to serious issues, chronic hypoglycemia can have negative neurological effects and a bad prognosis if it is not identified and treated in a timely manner.

Objective: The aim is to evaluate the frequency of neonatal hypoglycemia among newborn infants in the neonatal intensive care unit of Al-Imamein Al-Kadhimein medical city; as well as, to study the associated risk factors with hypoglycemia in newborns.

Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on one hundred newborn delivered in the neonatal intensive care unit of Al-Imamein Al-Kadhimein medical city; Data of neonates  who are 0-10 hours old was collected between the 1st -15th of December 2014. Data was taken from the mothers, risk factors were determined and data was assessed using the independent sample t-test and pearson correlation analysis.

Results: the overall prevalence of hypoglycemia is 16%, significant correlation between risk factors including diabetes in the mother, low birth weight (or intrauterine growth retardation), neonatal hypothermia, five minute APGAR score of less than seven, and polycythemia in newborn, and the incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia in our hospital was concluded in the study.

Conclusions: Hypoglycemia is a common problem in the neonates, the effect of some risk factors can be alleviated by good antenatal care for the mothers to control glucose level in blood. Some newborn factors as neonatal hypothermia and delayed feeding can be easily managed to control the incidence of hypoglycemia in newborn.