FREQUENCY AND PATTERN OF HYPOGLYCAEMIA IN LOW BIRTH WEIGHT BABIES DURING FIRST 48 HOURS OF LIFE

Authors

  • Noor ul Bashar Department of Paediatrics and Neonatology, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, Pakistan
  • Saima Bibi Department of Paediatrics and Neonatology, Ayub Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, Pakistan
  • Mian Sohail Adnan Department of Paediatrics and Neonatology, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, Pakistan
  • Syed Yasir Hussain Gilani Department of Medicine, Ayub Medical College and Hospital, Abbottabad, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v21i3.1852

Keywords:

neonates, low birth weight, hypoglycemia, preterm

Abstract

Background: Hypoglycaemia is one of the most frequent metabolic problems in early neonatal period and is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. This study aims to determine the pattern and frequency of hypoglycaemia in low birth weight (LBW) babies during first 48 hours after birth. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Neonatology Unit, Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad from 1st Feb to 30th Sep 2024. Babies with birth weight <2.5 Kg, preterm and term were included in the study. Blood sugar was checked and a value of <47 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L) was labelled as hypoglycaemia. Results: There were 184 neonates in the study. Sixty-eight (36.9%) had at least one low glucose reading. A large group (55, 80.9%) of patients were asymptomatic compared to 13 (19.1%) symptomatic patients. Hypoglycaemia was more common in females (51, 75%) compared to males (17, 25%) neonates. Hypoglycaemia was seen in 56 (82.4%) preterm and 12 (17.6%) term neonates. Frequency of hypoglycaemia was highest (34, 18.4%) in 1–2 hours after birth followed by 6 hours after birth (17, 9.2%). Conclusion: Hypoglycaemia is a common finding in low birth weight babies being asymptomatic in majority, and warrants early glucose monitoring and management for better outcome.

Pak J Physiol 2025;21(3):11–13, DOI: https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v21i3.1852

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Yoon JY, Chung HR, Choi CW, Yang SW, Kim BI, Shin CH. Blood glucose levels within 7 days after birth in preterm infants according to gestational age. Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2015;20(4):213–9.

Alsaleem M, Saadeh L, Kamat D. Neonatal Hypoglycemia: A Review. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2019;58(13):1381–6.

Khan S, Ashraf S, Siddiqa S, Noor S, Saleem M. Hypoglycemic status in low birth weight neonates during first 24 hours of life after birth. J. Rawalpindi Med Coll 2021;25(3):351–4.

Khairuzzaman M, Sarker NR, Sarker MA, Matin A, Rakshit SC, Mojumder B, et al. Blood glucose level in low birth weight babies in first 48 hours of life. J Curr Adv Med Res 2018;5(1):33–8.

Ramesh Bhat Y, George J, Lewis L, Purkayastha J. Blood glucose levels and characteristics of hypoglycemia in low birth weight neonates. J Nepal Paediatr Soc 2021;41(3):336–45.

Hayat K, Farid MN, Goheer L, Quddus HA, Murtaza HM, Lehrasab W, An Overview of hypoglycemia in preterm newborns. Pak Paediatr J 2021;45(2):181–5.

Stomnaroska O, Petkovska E, Jancevska S, Danilovski D. Neonatal hypoglycemia: risk factors and outcomes. Pril (Makedon Akad Nauk Umet Odd Med Nauki) 2017;38:97–101.

Wickström R, Skiöld B, Petersson G, Stephansson O, Altman M. Moderate neonatal hypoglycemia and adverse neurological development at 2–6 years of age. Eur J Epidemiol 2018;33:1011–20.

Bulbul A, Uslu S. Neonatal hypoglycemia. Med Bull Sisli Etfal Hosp 2016;50(1):1–13.

Amponsah G, Hagan O, Okai E. Neonatal hypoglycaemia at cape coast teaching hospital. J West Afr Coll Surg 2015;5(2):100–6.

Wang LY, Wang LY, Wang YL, Ho CH. Early neonatal hypoglycemia in term and late preterm small for gestational age newborns. Pediatr Neonatol 2023;64(5):538–46.

Hosagasi NH, Aydin M, Zenciroglu A, Ustun N, Beken S. Incidence of hypoglycemia in newborns at risk and an audit of the 2011 American academy of pediatrics guideline for hypoglycemia. Pediatr Neonatol 2018;59(4):368–74.

Mitchell NA, Grimbly C, Rosolowsky ET, O'Reilly M, Yaskina M, Cheung PY et al. Incidence and risk factors for hypoglycemia during fetal-to-neonatal transition in premature infants. Front Pediatr 2020;8:34.

Zhou W, Yu J, Wu Y, Zhang H. Hypoglycemia incidence and risk factors assessment in hospitalized neonates. J Matern-Fetal Neonat Med 2015;28(4):422–5.

Yunarto Y, Sarosa GI. Risk factors of neonatal hypoglycemia. Paediatr Indones 2019;59(5):252–6.

Siddique AA, Sridhar NL. Study of hypoglycemia in neonates with low birth weight. Asian J Clin Pediatr Neonatol 2020;8(1):44–6.

Downloads

Published

30-09-2025

How to Cite

1.
Bashar N ul, Bibi S, Adnan MS, Gilani SYH. FREQUENCY AND PATTERN OF HYPOGLYCAEMIA IN LOW BIRTH WEIGHT BABIES DURING FIRST 48 HOURS OF LIFE. Pak J Phsyiol [Internet]. 2025 Sep. 30 [cited 2025 Oct. 30];21(3):11-3. Available from: https://pjp.pps.org.pk/index.php/PJP/article/view/1852

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 3 (2025): Pak J Physiol

Section

Original Article

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Noor ul Bashar, Saima Bibi, Mian Sohail Adnan, Syed Yasir Hussain Gilani

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The author(s) retain the copyrights and allow their publication in Pakistan Journal of Physiology, Pak J Physiol, PJP to be FREE for research and academic purposes. It can be downloaded and stored, printed, presented, projected, cited and quoted with full reference of, and acknowledgement to the author(s) and the PJP. The contents are published with an international CC-BY-ND-4.0 License.