title: Early feeding and neonatal hypoglycemia in infants of diabetic mothers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of early formula feeding or breast-feeding on hypoglycemia in infants born to 303 A1-A2 and 88 Class B-RF diabetics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infants with hypoglycemia (blood glucose < 40 mg/dL) were breast-fed or formula-fed, and those with recurrences were given intravenous dextrose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 293 infants admitted to the well-baby nursery, 87 (30%) had hypoglycemia, corrected by early feeding in 75 (86%), while 12 (14%) required intravenous dextrose. In all, 98 infants were admitted to the newborn intensive care unit for respiratory distress (40%), prematurity (33%) or prevention of hypoglycemia (27%). Although all newborn intensive care unit patients received intravenous dextrose, 22 (22%) had hypoglycemia. Of 109 hypoglycemia episodes, 89 (82%) were single low occurrences. At discharge, 56% of well-baby nursery and 43% of newborn intensive care unit infants initiated breast-feeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypoglycemia among infants of diabetic mothers can be corrected by early breast-feeding or formula feeding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Obstetrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Leandro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cordero
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Shilpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Kirsty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hillier
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Giannone
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Nankervis
keywords: Hypoglycemia; diabetic; infants; mothers