Factors Associated With Hypoglycemia Among Neonates Born to Mothers With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Martha B. Kole‐White, Nina K. Ayala, Melissa A. Clark, Phinnara Has, Mathew Esposito, Erika F. Werner
Abstract
Among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of the neonate is a common complication because the hyperglycemic intrauterine environment leads to a relative increase in fetal insulin secretion (1). After delivery, persistent insulin elevation results in neonatal hypoglycemia that can be identified by clinical symptoms or routine screening. Exposure to GDM and hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia have been associated with neurological sequelae and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes (1) as well as long-term metabolic abnormalities including type 2 diabetes and childhood obesity (2). Despite the morbidity associated with neonatal hypoglycemia, there is a paucity of data on predictors of the condition. The goal of this secondary analysis was to evaluate pregnancy characteristics among neonates who developed hypoglycemia within the first 24 h of life compared with those who did not. The prospective cohort study was performed at a single academic medical center between January 2016 and June 2018. Women included were ≥18 years old, diagnosed with GDM during their pregnancy, and enrolled during their postpartum hospitalization. Following enrollment, demographic, obstetric, and neonatal data were obtained from the electronic medical record. Included in this analysis were 597 pregnancies among which 234 neonates (39%) had hypoglycemia and 363 neonates (61%) did …