Normal Point of Care Glucose Values after Birth in the Well-Baby Nursery

Normal initial blood glucose values in healthy newborns are not well defined and are subject to controversy. Despite substantive research, there is no single initial value of glucose that can be used with certainty of safety in newborns, and thus various protocols and cutoffs have been proposed.

We sought to characterize the normal values of blood glucose levels in a large cohort of neonates admitted to the well-baby nursery in Shaare Zedek Medical Center. The blood glucose levels were measured with a point of care (POC) glucometer (Accu-Chek Performa) within 180 minutes after birth.

The study population included 3,912 newborns with a mean birth weight of 3,322 ± 439 g and a mean gestational age of 39.4 ± 1.3 weeks. Sampling was performed at a median age of 73 minutes (interquartile range [IQR], 55-92 minutes). Median glucose concentration was 58 (IQR, 51-67) mg/dL, and first, third, and fifth percentiles were 34, 39, and 41 mg/dL, respectively.

Our data describe the normal range of POC blood glucose levels in healthy neonates on admission to the nursery. Extreme low levels were rare.