RESUMO
AIM: To evaluate the practice of routine admission of infants at high risk of hypoglycaemia by determining the incidence of hypoglycaemia, factors that predict necessary admission and breastfeeding outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of neonates admitted to a tertiary neonatal unit for high risk of hypoglycaemia. Clinical data, including blood glucose concentrations, body fat percentage and time to initiation of feeding, were collected for 122 infant-maternal dyads for a 3-year period from April 2016 to May 2019. Descriptive statistical analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were undertaken. RESULTS: Hypoglycaemia developed in 39.3% of the neonates identified as high risk. Overall, 69 out of 122 admissions were potentially avoidable. Initial blood glucose was the most significant predictive factor for necessary admission with odds ratio of 3.26 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-10.17) for an initial glucose of 1.6-2.0 and 27.05 (95% CI 5.06-144.42) for initial glucose ≤1.5. Exclusive breastfeeding rates at discharge were lower in admitted infants (59%) compared to the overall hospital rate (75.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Neonates at high risk of hypoglycaemia should be monitored with their mothers as most infants needing admission are detected by initial blood glucose concentration. This would reduce infant-maternal separation and potentially improve breastfeeding rates.
