Neonatal hypoglycemia is low blood sugar (glucose) in the first few days after birth.
Symptoms of Neonatal Hypoglycemia
Infants with hypoglycemia may not have symptoms. If they do occur, symptoms may include:
- Bluish-colored skin (cyanosis)
- Breathing problems
- Decreased muscle tone (hypotonia)
- Grunting
- Irritability
- Listlessness
- Nausea, vomiting
- Pale skin
- Pauses in breathing (apnea)
- Poor feeding
- Rapid breathing
- Problems with maintaining body heat
- Shakiness
- Sweating
- Tremors
- Seizures
Treatment of Neonatal Hypoglycemia
Infants with hypoglycemia may need to receive:
Feeding with breast milk or formula within the first few hours after birth, either by mouth or through a tube inserted through the nose into the stomach (nasogastric lavage)
A sugar solution through a vein (intravenously) if the baby is unable to feed by mouth, or if the blood sugar is very low
Treatment normally continues for a few hours or days to a week.
If the low blood sugar continues, the baby may also receive medication to increase blood glucose levels (diazoxide) or to reduce insulin production (ocreotide).
In rare cases, newborns with very severe hypoglycemia who don’t improve with treatment may need surgery to remove part of the pancreas (to reduce insulin production).
