An emerging evidence base for the management of neonatal hypoglycaemia
Open accessAbstract
Neonatal hypoglycaemia is common, and screening and treatment of babies considered at risk is widespread, despite there being little reliable evidence upon which to base management decisions. Although there is now evidence about which babies are at greatest risk, the threshold for diagnosis, best approach to treatment and later outcomes all remain uncertain. Recent studies suggest that treatment with dextrose gel is safe and effective and may help support breast feeding. Thresholds for intervention require a wide margin of safety in light of information that babies with glycaemic instability and with low glucose concentrations may be associated with a higher risk of later higher order cognitive and learning problems. Randomised trials are urgently needed to inform optimal thresholds for intervention and appropriate treatment strategies.
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Patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies are at risk for severe hypoglycemia and thus for brain damage and cognitive impairment.
“With these hormone deficiencies, patients with MPHD are at risk for severe hypoglycemia and thus for brain damage and cognitive impairment (12, 13).”
From Cognitive and Motor Outcome in Patients with Early-Detected Central Congenital Hypothyroidism Compared with Siblings (2021) · cites this paper as [12]
The Outcomes section states that severe, persistent hypoglycaemia can cause brain injury in newborns and discusses possible later neurocognitive impairment. It does not identify patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies as a group at risk for hypoglycaemia, so the claim's MPHD-specific part is unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.87)
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Cites
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Research works printed but not linked: 21
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Naafs, J. C., Marchal, J. P., Fliers, E., Verkerk, P. H., Luijten, M. A. J., Boelen, A., van Trotsenburg, A. S. P., & Zwaveling-Soonawala, N. (2021) · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaa901 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
- Authors
- Harding, J. E., Harris, D. L., Hegarty, J. E., Alsweiler, J. M., & McKinlay, C. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- Corresponding author
- Harding, Jane E
- Venue
- Early Human Development
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-01
- Volume
- 104
- Pages
- 51-56
- ISSN
- 0378-3782 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5280577
- OpenAlex
- W2561897797
- Cited by
- 138
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 8.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- erratum (2017-05-01)
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Early Human Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- ResearchSpace (University of Auckland) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD069622)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Neonatal Health and Biochemistry
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Management and Research
- Keywords
- neonatal hypoglycemia, dextrose gel, hypoglycemia treatment, intervention thresholds, breastfeeding, neurodevelopmental outcomes, cognitive outcomes, evidence base
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Hypoglycemia, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Newborn, Diseases, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Evidence-Based Medicine, Disease Management
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