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Updated: Aug 19, 2026
Biochemical Measurement of Neonatal Hypoxia
Published on: August 24, 2011
Skinfold thickness as an indicator of neonatal hypoglycaemia in infants with birthweights over 2500g
Insights
Full-term infants over 2500g can experience neonatal hypoglycemia. Low subcutaneous fat, indicated by skinfold thickness, correlates with lower plasma glucose, but isn't a reliable screening tool.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Endocrinology
Background:
- Neonatal hypoglycemia affects some full-term infants with birthweights over 2500g.
- These infants often exhibit signs of poor nourishment, specifically reduced subcutaneous fat.
- Identifying predictive markers for hypoglycemia in this population is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between subcutaneous fat stores and plasma glucose levels in term neonates.
- To assess the potential of skinfold thickness as an objective indicator for predicting neonatal hypoglycemia.
Main Methods:
- A study of 100 normal, term infants with birthweights exceeding 2500g.
- Measurement of standard deviation scores for skinfold thickness relative to birthweight as a proxy for nutritional status.
- Analysis of plasma glucose levels at four hours of age in relation to skinfold thickness scores.
Main Results:
- Infants with lower skinfold standard deviation scores demonstrated significantly lower plasma glucose levels at four hours.
- A statistically significant, though weak, correlation was found between plasma glucose and skinfold standard deviation scores.
- The correlation was insufficient for use as a reliable screening method for neonatal hypoglycemia.
Conclusions:
- Subcutaneous fat stores, assessed by skinfold thickness, are linked to neonatal glucose levels in term infants over 2500g.
- While indicative, skinfold thickness alone is not a sufficiently accurate predictor for screening neonatal hypoglycemia in this group.
- Further research is needed to identify objective measurements for predicting neonatal hypoglycemia in term neonates with higher birthweights.
Abstract:
Some full-term infants with birthweights over 2500g suffer neonatal hypoglycaemia. These infants often appear to be poorly nourished, due to decreased amounts of subcutaneous fat. 100 normal term infants with birthweights over 2500g who were nursed, apparently asymptomatically, beside their mothers were chosen at random for study. As an objective indicator of malnourishment, standard deviation scores of skinfold thickness as a function of birthweight were derived from standards for each infant. Those infants with low skinfold standard deviation scores had significantly lower plasma glucose levels at four hours of age, but the correlation between plasma glucose and skinfold standard deviation scores, although significant, was too low for use as a screening method. The importance of finding an objective measurement for predicting neonatal hypoglycaemia in term neonates weighing over 2500g at birth is discussed.
