Hypoglycaemia and temporary hyperglycaemia in infants of low birth weight for materity.

The importance of hypoglycaemia in newborn infants who have suffered intrauterine malnutrition is now well established (Neligan, 1965). The number of reports on this subject is not yet extensive (Cornblath, Odell, and Levin, 1959; Brown and Wallis, 1963a; Neligan, Robson, and Watson, 1963; Tynan and Haas, 1963; Neligan, 1965), and gives the impression that the ultimate prognosis is often good, provided that treatment is early and adequate. Our experience has been different, and we are, therefore, reporting this further series of hypoglycaemic dysmature infants. Neligan et al. (1963), Engleson and Zetterqvist (1957), and Hutchison, Keay, and Kerr (1962), commented upon the similarity in appearance between such infants and infants with temporary neonatal hyperglycaemia. One of our patients with symptomatic hypoglycaemia developed temporary neonatal hyperglycaemia and required insulin therapy. Because she possibly provides a link between the two conditions, we describe her case in detail.