Blood glucose level in newborn infants of high risk pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Under normal circumstances, the fetus receives a constant supply of nutrients and oxygen from his mother across the placenta. After delivery the newborn infant must rely on his endogenous source to maintain glucose homeostasis until an adequate food supply become available. A normal fasting blood glucose level depends on sufficient hepatic enzyme pathways for gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis and normal hormonal activities for regulation of these processes. This study aimed at estimating the blood glucose level in newborn infants of high risk pregnancies as well as in high risk newborns. The study was carried out on 138 newborn infants at high risk, pregnant mothers, and high risk newborns, in addition to 20 healthy newborn infants of normal pregnancy. The groups included in the study were Group [1] Diabetic Mothers their number were 15. Group [2] Primiparous mothers over 35 Y their number were 15. Group [3] Underweight mothers [under 60 kg] their number were 5. Group [4] Mothers with Rheumatic heart disease their number were 8. Group [5] Mothers with chronic hypertension; their number were 6. Group [6] Pre-eclamptic mothers their number were 12. Group [7] Eclamptic mothers their number were 6. Group [8] Multiparous mothers over 5 deliveries their number were 8. Group [9] Premature newborns their number were 25. Group [10] Small for date newborns their number were 38. The blood glucose level in the newborns was done by the reflectometer method at birth, at 1 hour and at 4 hours after delivery. The results obtained, showed that in all infants, blood glucose level at 4 hours was significantly lower than its level at birth in all groups. Significant lower blood glucose level than that of the control groups was seen in infants of mothers suffering from diabetes, chronic hypertension and eclampsia. The same observation was seen in prematures and SGA newborns. On the other hand, no significant difference was seen in the rest of the groups