DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2018.v06i01.055

Pages: 267-271

To assess risk of hypoglycemia in normal, healthy and exclusively breast fed newborns in first 24 – 48 hrs of life. A prospective, longitudinal study conducted on 141 normal healthy, exclusively breast fed newborns. Blood glucose was measured at birth, 2hrs, 6 hrs, 12hrs, 18hrs, 24hrs, 36hrs and 48hrs after delivery. The impact of parity, mode of delivery and intrapartum intake of glucose on blood glucose was analysed. Of 141 newborns, 5 had asymptomatic hypoglycemia who responded to a breast feed or formula feed. Incidence of hypoglycemia was 3.5% among all babies, 33.3% in LGA babies, 33.3% in SGA babies and 2.2% in AGA babies. Mean RBS at the time of hypoglycemia was 36.17+ 1.7mg/dl. Mean RBS among hypoglycemic babies at birth was 94+41.9 mg/dl. Mean overall age of presentation of hypoglycemia was 6hrs 20 min. Newborns born to mothers with higher intrapartum intake of glucose had higher blood sugar levels at birth followed by dramatic fall in lower blood sugar levels at subsequent 2 hrs and 6 hrs of life. The fluctuations in the blood sugar values were significantly associated with intrapartum glucose intake by the mothers. There was no statistically significant difference in the occurrence of hypoglycemia based on gestational age, parity and mode of delivery. A normal healthy and exclusively breastfed newborn had a significantly high incidence of asymptomatic hypoglycemia, more so in SGA, LGA and male babies. However parity, gestation and mode of delivery did not influence blood glucose levels.