[Care of neonates born to diabetic mothers]

Manfred Danda1

  • 1Klinische Abteilung für Neonatologie, Universitätsklinik für Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde, Auenbruggerplatz 14, Graz, Austria. manfred.danda@medunigraz.at

This article aims to describe the pathophysiology of glucose metabolism in newborns of mothers with diabetes in pregnancy, the clinical signs of diabetic fetopathy and hypoglycaemia of the newborn, clinical practical procedures of post-partum blood glucose measurement and definition of hypoglycaemia, as well as prophylaxis and treatment of postpartal hypoglycaemia. In studies, newborns have been described with possibly severe mental retardation in the first years of life after post-partum recurrent hypoglycaemia with or without symptoms. Therefore, it is indicated to measure blood glucose levels regularly on the first day of life. Finally a flowchart for the measurement of glucose and therapy in newborns is presented.

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