Variable outcome for epilepsy after neonatal hypoglycaemia

Long-term neurological dysfunction and neonatal hypoglycaemia after diabetic pregnancy.

AIM To determine if children born to mothers with diabetes mellitus during pregnancy, who subsequently developed neonatal hypoglycaemia, experienced long-term neurological dysfunction. METHODS Thirteen children with, and 15 without, neonatal hypoglycaemia (blood glucose < 1.5 mmol/l) were randomly selected from a larger cohort and investigated at the age of 8 years. They were also compared wi...

Neonatal hypoglycaemia--a critical reappraisal.

Neonatal hypoglycaemia: learning from claims

OBJECTIVES Neonatal hypoglycaemia is a potential cause of neonatal morbidity, and on rare but tragic occasions causes long-term neurodevelopmental harm with consequent emotional and practical costs for the family. The organisational cost to the NHS includes the cost of successful litigation claims. The purpose of the review was to identify themes that could alert clinicians to common pitfalls a...

Rapid detection of neonatal hypoglycaemia

The use of Dextrostix Reflectance Meter (DRM)* to measure blood glucose has been reported recently. The method has proved to be simnple, rapid, and accurate, and to correlate well with various reference methods (Mazzaferri et al., 1970; Jarret, Keen, and Hardwick, 1970; Schersten, 1971; Deckert and Futtrup, 1971). The handiness of the DRM seemed to make it an excellent tool in the diagnosis of ...

Hypoglycaemia and neonatal brain injury

The transition from fetal to neonatal life requires metabolic adaptation to ensure energy supply to vital organs and systems after separation from the placental circulation. Under normal conditions this is achieved through the mobilisation and use of alternative cerebral fuels (fatty acids, ketone bodies and lactate) when blood glucose concentration falls. The level of blood glucose (BG) concen...