Question

A newborn has been diagnosed with hypoglycemia during examination. What factors or causes might lead to this condition? What impact does hypoglycemia have on the newborn’s future?

Answer

  1. Premature infants and small-for-gestational-age babies have less glycogen stored in their bodies. After birth, maintaining body temperature, breathing, and muscle activity all rely on sugar substances for energy. Without timely replenishment, hypoglycemia can easily occur.
  2. Newborns with respiratory distress syndrome, hyaline membrane disease, or hemolytic disease may experience difficulty in swallowing, leading to normal feeding problems. Combined with the high consumption of glucose in the body, this can result in hypoglycemia.
  3. Maternal diabetes or neonatal conditions such as galactosemia or glycogen storage disease can also cause neonatal hypoglycemia.
  4. Rapid glucose administration may stimulate an increase in neonatal endogenous insulin secretion, which can lead to reactive hypoglycemia upon sudden discontinuation. Therefore, for newborns who have experienced asphyxia, especially those with low birth weight, glucose administration should be gradually reduced until it is stopped to avoid reactive hypoglycemia.
  5. Certain diseases such as hormone deficiencies, diabetes defects, congenital hypopituitarism, and congenital metabolic defects like maple syrup urine disease and galactosemia can all lead to decreased blood sugar levels. Impact on the future: Timely diagnosis and treatment of hypoglycemia are very important for newborns. Hypoglycemia can affect a newborn’s growth and development, so it is essential to closely monitor blood sugar levels and provide appropriate treatment as prescribed by a doctor.