Hypoglycemia in newborns can be caused by maternal health, premature birth, congenital conditions, and stress during gestation or delivery. Babies born to women with diabetes are at risk, as are premature or small-for-gestational-age babies. Hypoglycemia can be life-threatening and requires close monitoring. Symptoms may not be obvious, so caretakers need to be aware of the signs and respond quickly.
Hypoglycemia in newborns is a condition in which the amount of sugar, or glucose, in the blood is lower than it should be. About two out of 1,000 newborns develop low blood sugar. The maternal health, premature birth, congenital conditions, and stress during gestation and/or delivery are all common causes of hypoglycemia in newborns. Hypoglycemia, the medical term for low blood sugar, can be life-threatening; close monitoring is essential for the health of children at risk.
Babies born to women with diabetes often develop low blood sugar levels. During gestation, a baby’s body adjusts to producing extra insulin in response to the mother’s high sugar levels. At birth, the baby’s body, which is still producing extra insulin, uses up all the sugar stored in the liver. When this happens, low blood sugar develops.
Premature babies and small-for-gestational-age babies can also have low blood sugar. This is especially true for babies with low birth weight. These babies cannot store enough sugar in their livers or their livers are too immature to function well outside the womb. When their glucose stores are depleted, blood sugar levels can drop.
Congenital conditions such as hypopituitarism, hyperinsulinism, and glycogen storage disorders can be a cause of hypoglycemia in newborns. In hypopituitarism, the pituitary gland doesn’t tell the other glands to secrete the right amount of hormones. In hyperinsulinism, too much insulin is secreted into the bloodstream and the liver’s sugar stores are depleted too quickly. Glycogen storage disease consists of 14 different disorders that affect the liver’s ability to store carbohydrates as glycogen.
Stress during gestation or delivery can cause low blood sugar in newborns. If the mother has poor dietary habits during pregnancy, fasts, or produces inadequate breast milk, her baby may be more likely to develop low blood sugar. Birth asphyxia, which is when the baby gets too little oxygen during pregnancy or during childbirth, can also cause low blood sugar in newborns. Babies who are not fed regularly or who eat sparingly may also show signs of hypoglycemia.
Low blood sugar in newborns can be very dangerous. In situations where blood sugar remains low for an extended period of time, seizures or brain injury may develop. Children with hypoglycemia may not show obvious symptoms. Those who show symptoms of low blood sugar may become jumpy, lethargic, have low tone, or have a low body temperature. They can also turn cyanotic or blue and even stop breathing. Caretakers of children at risk for hypoglycemia need to be aware of the signs and symptoms so they can respond quickly if the condition develops.
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