title: Characteristics of infants admitted with hypoglycemia to a neonatal unit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neonatal hypoglycemia is a common symptom in early infant life. The currently available literature identifies the risk factors but not the degree to which each factor lends itself to the development or severity of an ensuing hypoglycemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective electronic chart review of near-term and term infants (>35 weeks' gestation) admitted to a tertiary-level neonatal unit over 16 months was carried out from the initiation of electronic record keeping.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-five infants admitted with hypoglycemia to the unit were identified with complete records available. Fifty-eight percent of the infants were males, and the median gestation was 38 weeks. Twenty-two percent of the infants were premature, whereas 18% were macrosomic. Maternal diabetes was present in 27% infants. Comorbidities were common in this cohort, with approximately two-thirds of infants having multiple morbidities. The majority of which were jaundice and infection, whereas the minor ones were respiratory distress, initial lactic acidosis, feeding issues, and temperature instability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neonatal hypoglycemia continues to be a significant morbidity in near-term and term infants. The presence of multiple morbidities is common in the setting of hypoglycemia and is the main determinant of the length of stay in the neonatal unit in this study population.
authors: Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Van Haltren
authors: Atul
authors: A
authors: Malhotra
mesh_terms: D000140:Acidosis, Lactic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index