Maternal intravenous glucose administration as a cause of hypoglycemia in the infant of the diabetic mother

Abstract

The effect of the cord blood glucose level on early neonatal glucose homeostasis was studied in 18 infants of diabetic mothers. The higher the cord blood glucose, the more rapid the disappearance of glucose, the lower the level to which the glucose concentration falls, and the greater the prevalence of hypoglycemia during the first 4 hours of life. The data also indicate that the umbilical cord blood glucose is directly related to the rate of glucose administration to the diabetic mother, immediately prior to delivery. The more rapid the glucose infusion to the mother, the higher the cord blood glucose level. The cord blood glucose level may also be related to the maternal blood glucose level, the route of delivery, and the severity of the maternal diabetes. It is recommended that restriction of glucose administration to the diabetic mother during labor and delivery decreases the likelihood that the infant will develop early neonatal hypoglycemia.