A Prospective Controlled Study of Neonatal Hypoglycemia

Abstract

A follow-up study was done on the physical growth, neurological and EEG abnormalities and intellectual development of 39 treated hypoglycemic children and 41 matched controls up to 5 to 7 years of age.

Although there were no significant differences in mean height and mean weight at 5 to 7 years of age, mean head circumferences remained smaller in the hypoglycemic groups when compared to that of the controls.

No significant EEG differences were found between the groups but a significant difference in neurologic abnormalities was seen. However, in only two of 30 infants who had repeated neurological examinations and who were at least 4 years old at the time of the last examinations could the neurologic abnormality be attributed solely to hypoglycemia which had been adequately treated. These abnormalities were occasional nonfebrile seizures. In a third infant moderate neurologic abnormalities could be traced to unrecognized and inadequately treated symptomatic hypoglycemia, in a fourth to microcephaly and hypoglycemia, and in one infant spastic quadriplegia was associated with cerebral hemorrhage and hypoglycemia.

Although there were no differences in the mean yearly IQ scores between the groups, a significantly (p < .05) larger number of hypoglycemic children had IQ scores below 86 (13 of 25) than did the controls (six of 27) at 5 to 7 years of age.