Sustained Neonatal Hypoglycemia Profoundly Impacts Neurodevelopment

A new study aimed to investigate the impact of neonatal hypoglycemia on neurodevelopment and neurodevelopmental clusters in infants at 18 months of age. 

This prospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital and included 259 neonates with hypoglycemia, of which 92 met the inclusion criteria. Assessments were conducted at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months using the Developmental Assessment Scale for Indian Infants (DASII). 

Of the evaluated babies, 23.5% had asymptomatic hypoglycemia, and 8.2% exhibited symptoms, including seizures. At three months, 17.6% showed delayed development; at 18 months, 9.4% had delayed motor development, and 7% had delayed mental development. Positive correlations were found between age and improvements in motor and mental development clusters. 

The findings depicted that neonatal hypoglycemia adversely affects motor and mental development clusters, with improvement occurring with age. However, even with advancing age, developmental clusters remain suboptimal––emphasizing the profound impact of severe symptomatic and sustained hypoglycemia on neurodevelopment.

Source:Masood A, Qureshi F, Ahmed P, Ali I. Indian Pediatrics. 2023 Nov;60(11):931-4.