Neonatal hypoglycemia: How much does it damage the brain?

Abstract

Since glucose is the major metabolic fuel for the brain, it is not surprising that hypoglycemia would cause signs of acute brain dysfunction such as convulsions, unconsciousness, and even death. In survivors of prolonged hypoglycemic episodes, permanent neurological sequelae due to cellular injury from deprivation of oxidizable substrate would be anticipated. In the newborn infant, hypoglycemia might theoretically be expected to result in permanent brain dysfunction not only from this cause, but also because glucose is a precursor for the synthesis of macromolecules, such as lipids, proteins, DNA and RNA, which occurs at a high level during the rapid phase of brain growth.¹