Prolonged transitional neonatal hypoglycaemia: characterisation of a clinical syndrome

We performed a case-control study to characterise infants with "prolonged transitional hypoglycaemia".

Cases were born ≥36 weeks' gestation; had ≥1 hypoglycaemic episode <72 h and ≥72 h; received ongoing treatment for hypoglycaemia ≥72 h; and were without congenital disorders or acute illness. Cases were compared to controls born ≥36 weeks' with brief transitional hypoglycaemia, resolving <72 h.

39/471 infants screened met case definition: 71.8% were male, 61.5% were small-for-gestational-age (SGA), and most were admitted <6 h. Compared to controls (N = 75), key risk factors for prolonged transitional hypoglycaemia were SGA (OR = 6.4, 95%CI 2.7-15.1), severe/recurrent hypoglycaemia <24 h (OR = 16.7, 95%CI 4.5-16.1), intravenous glucose bolus <24 h (OR = 26.6, 95%CI 9.4-75.1) and maximum glucose delivery rate <48 h of ≥8 mg/kg/min (OR = 25.5, 95%CI 7.7-84.1).

Infants with prolonged transitional hypoglycaemia are predominantly male, SGA and have early severe/recurrent hypoglycaemia requiring glucose boluses and high glucose delivery rates in the first 24-48 h.