Pediatrics Muy Bueno
Pediatrics Muy Bueno
Pediatrics Muy Bueno
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abstract
KEY WORDS
newborn, glucose, neonatal hypoglycemia, late-preterm infant
This report provides a practical guide and algorithm for the screening
and subsequent management of neonatal hypoglycemia. Current evidence does not support a specific concentration of glucose that can
discriminate normal from abnormal or can potentially result in acute
or chronic irreversible neurologic damage. Early identification of the
at-risk infant and institution of prophylactic measures to prevent neonatal hypoglycemia are recommended as a pragmatic approach despite the absence of a consistent definition of hypoglycemia in the
literature. Pediatrics 2011;127:575579
ABBREVIATIONS
NHneonatal hypoglycemia
D10Wdextrose 10% in water
This document is copyrighted and is property of the American
Academy of Pediatrics and its Board of Directors. All authors
have filed conflict of interest statements with the American
Academy of Pediatrics. Any conflicts have been resolved through
a process approved by the Board of Directors. The American
Academy of Pediatrics has neither solicited nor accepted any
commercial involvement in the development of the content of
this publication.
The guidance in this report does not indicate an exclusive
course of treatment or serve as a standard of medical care.
Variations, taking into account individual circumstances, may be
appropriate.
www.pediatrics.org/cgi/doi/10.1542/peds.2010-3851
doi:10.1542/peds.2010-3851
All clinical reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics
automatically expire 5 years after publication unless reaffirmed,
revised, or retired at or before that time.
PEDIATRICS (ISSN Numbers: Print, 0031-4005; Online, 1098-4275).
Copyright 2011 by the American Academy of Pediatrics
INTRODUCTION
This clinical report provides a practical guide for the screening and
subsequent management of neonatal hypoglycemia (NH) in at-risk latepreterm (34 3667 weeks gestational age) and term infants. An expert
panel convened by the National Institutes of Health in 2008 concluded
that there has been no substantial evidence-based progress in defining
what constitutes clinically important NH, particularly regarding how it
relates to brain injury, and that monitoring for, preventing, and treating NH remain largely empirical.1 In addition, the simultaneous occurrence of other medical conditions that are associated with brain injury,
such as hypoxia-ischemia or infection, could alone, or in concert with
NH, adversely affect the brain.25 For these reasons, this report does
not identify any specific value or range of plasma glucose concentrations that potentially could result in brain injury. Instead, it is a pragmatic approach to a controversial issue for which evidence is lacking
but guidance is needed.
BACKGROUND
Blood glucose concentrations as low as 30 mg/dL are common in
healthy neonates by 1 to 2 hours after birth; these low concentrations,
seen in all mammalian newborns, usually are transient, asymptomatic,
and considered to be part of normal adaptation to postnatal life.6 8
Most neonates compensate for physiologic hypoglycemia by producing alternative fuels including ketone bodies, which are released from
fat.
Clinically significant NH reflects an imbalance between supply and use
of glucose and alternative fuels and may result from a multitude of
disturbed regulatory mechanisms. A rational definition of NH must
account for the fact that acute symptoms and long-term neurologic
sequelae occur within a continuum of low plasma glucose values of
varied duration and severity.
575
The authors of several literature reviews have concluded that there is not
a specific plasma glucose concentration or duration of hypoglycemia that
can predict permanent neurologic injury in high-risk infants.3,9,10 Data that
have linked plasma glucose concentration with adverse long-term neurologic
outcomes are confounded by variable
definitions of hypoglycemia and its duration (seldom reported), the omission of control groups, the possible inclusion of infants with confounding
conditions, and the small number of
asymptomatic infants who were followed.3,11,12 In addition, there is no single concentration or range of plasma
glucose concentrations that is associated with clinical signs. Therefore,
there is no consensus regarding when
screening should be performed and
which concentration of glucose requires therapeutic intervention in the
asymptomatic infant. The generally
adopted plasma glucose concentration that defines NH for all infants
(!47 mg/dL) is without rigorous scientific justification.1,3,4,9,12
FIGURE 1
Screening for and management of postnatal glucose homeostasis in late-preterm (LPT 34 3667
weeks) and term small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants and infants who were born to mothers with
diabetes (IDM)/large-for-gestational age (LGA) infants. LPT and SGA (screen 0 24 hours), IDM and LGA
!34 weeks (screen 0 12 hours). IV indicates intravenous.
utes, not hours) in any infant who manifests clinical signs (see Clinical
Signs) compatible with a low blood
glucose concentration (ie, the symptomatic infant).
Breastfed term infants have lower concentrations of plasma glucose but
higher concentrations of ketone bodies
than do formula-fed infants.13,17 It is postulated that breastfed infants tolerate
lower plasma glucose concentrations
without any clinical manifestations or sequelae of NH because of the increased
ketone concentrations.8,1214
WHEN TO SCREEN
Neonatal glucose concentrations decrease after birth, to as low as 30
mg/dL during the first 1 to 2 hours after birth, and then increase to higher
and relatively more stable concentrations, generally above 45 mg/dL by 12
hours after birth.6,7 Data on the optimal
timing and intervals for glucose
screening are limited. It is controversial whether to screen the asymptomatic at-risk infant for NH during this
LABORATORY DATA
CLINICAL SIGNS
MANAGEMENT
Any approach to management needs to
account for the overall metabolic and
physiologic status of the infant and
should not unnecessarily disrupt the
mother-infant relationship and breastfeeding. The definition of a plasma glucose concentration at which intervention is indicated needs to be tailored to
the clinical situation and the particular
characteristics of a given infant. For
example, further investigation and immediate intravenous glucose treatment might be instituted for an infant
with clinical signs and a plasma glucose concentration of less than 40 mg/
577
dL, whereas an at-risk but asymptomatic term formula-fed infant may only
require an increased frequency of
feeding and would receive intravenous
glucose only if the glucose values decreased to less than 25 mg/dL (birth to
4 hours of age) or 35 mg/dL (4 24
hours of age).32 Follow-up glucose concentrations and clinical evaluation
must always be obtained to ensure
that postnatal glucose homeostasis is
achieved and maintained.
Because severe, prolonged, symptomatic hypoglycemia may result in neuronal injury,27,28,32 prompt intervention is
necessary for infants who manifest
clinical signs and symptoms. A reasonable (although arbitrary) cutoff for
treating symptomatic infants is 40 mg/
dL. This value is higher than the physiologic nadir and higher than concentrations usually associated with
clinical signs. A plasma sample for a
laboratory glucose determination
needs to be obtained just before giving
an intravenous minibolus of glucose
(200 mg of glucose per kg, 2 mL/kg dextrose 10% in water [D10W], intravenously) and/or starting a continuous
infusion of glucose (D10W at 80 100
mL/kg per day). A reasonable goal is to
maintain plasma glucose concentrations in symptomatic infants between
40 and 50 mg/dL.
Figure 1 is a guideline for the screening and management of NH in latepreterm infants and term infants who
were born to mothers with diabetes,
small for gestational age, or large for
gestational age. In developing a pragmatic approach to the asymptomatic
at-risk infant during the first 24 hours
after birth, mode of feeding, risk factors, and hours of age were considered. This strategy is based on the following observations from Cornblath
and Ichord13: (1) almost all infants with
proven symptomatic NH during the
first hours of life have plasma glucose
concentrations lower than 20 to 25
578
charge. It is recommended that the atrisk asymptomatic infant who has glucose concentrations of less than 25
mg/dL (birth to 4 hours of age) or less
than 35 mg/dL (4 24 hours of age) be
refed and that the glucose value be rechecked 1 hour after refeeding. Subsequent concentrations lower than 25
mg/dL, or lower than 35 mg/dL, respectively, after attempts to refeed, necessitate treatment with intravenous glucose. Persistent hypoglycemia can be
treated with a minibolus (200 mg/kg [2
mL/kg] D10W) and/or intravenous infusion of D10W at 5 to 8 mg/kg per minute,
80 to 100 mL/kg per day; the goal is to
achieve a plasma glucose concentration of 40 to 50 mg/dL (higher concentrations will only stimulate further insulin secretion). If it is not possible to
maintain blood glucose concentrations of greater than 45 mg/dL after 24
hours of using this rate of glucose infusion, consideration should be given
to the possibility of hyperinsulinemic
hypoglycemia, which is the most common cause of severe persistent hypoglycemia in the newborn period. A
blood sample should be sent for measurement of insulin along with a glucose concentration at the time when a
bedside blood glucose concentration
is less than 40 mg/dL, and an endocrinologist should be consulted.
SUMMARY
Current evidence does not support a
specific concentration of glucose that
can discriminate euglycemia from hypoglycemia or can predict that acute
or chronic irreversible neurologic
damage will result. Therefore, similar
to the Canadian Paediatric Society
guidelines, a significantly low concentration of glucose in plasma should be
reliably established and treated to restore glucose values to a normal physiologic range.5 Recognizing infants at
risk of disturbances in postnatal glucose homeostasis and providing a
margin of safety by early measures to
LEAD AUTHOR
Kristi L. Watterberg, MD
David H. Adamkin, MD
LIAISONS
STAFF
Jim Couto, MA
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