Screening term LGA neonates for hypoglycemia: the Colorado vs. the Portland Intrauterine Growth Chart

It was postulated that identification of term (LGA) large for gestational age newborns by the Portland Intrauterine Growth Curve rather than the Colorado Curve would classify a lesser number of neonates as LGA, but would identify the LGA neonates at risk for hypoglycemia. One hundred inborn neonates who plotted LGA on the Colorado Chart were reviewed. Sixty-one infants were LGA on the Portland Chart. Of the 100 infants, 17 were found to have dextrostix less than 45 mg% in the first two hours of life, 15 of these had quantitative blood glucose (BG) test performed. Eleven of the 15 neonates had a BG less than 40 mg%; all 11 hypoglycemic neonates were identified LGA on the Colorado Graph whereas only seven were identified LGA by the Portland Graph. The authors conclude that the Colorado Graph is a better tool in their population than the Portland in identifying term LGA neonates at risk for hypoglycemia.