Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hypoglycemia occurs more frequently in infants of diabetic mothers as well as in preterm and small for gestational age babies (SGA). Severe neonatal hypoglycemia can adversely affect the neurodevelopment and metabolism of the infant on the long run. Postnatal growth of these infants has not been studied in depth.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate postnatal growth patterns in infants with neonatal hypoglycemia, comparing infants of diabetic mothers (IDM) with infants of non-diabetic mothers (INDM) from birth to 3 years of age.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the growth data of 79 IDM and 51 INDM infants who were treated for severe neonatal hypoglycemia at a single center. Anthropometric measurements, including weight-for-age Z score (WAZ), length-for-age Z score (LAZ), and weight-for-length Z score (WLZ), were collected at birth and at several intervals up to 36 months.

Results: IDM were born at a higher gestational age and with better growth indices than INDM. During the first year, IDM had a progressive increase in WAZ, which stabilized thereafter, while INDM demonstrated a significant catch-up in WAZ and LAZ, particularly in the first 18 months. After 2 months, IDM maintained higher WLZ scores than INDM. By 36 months, IDM had significantly higher WAZ and WLZ, suggesting a tendency towards increased weight relative to length.

Discussion: IDM exhibited a distinct growth pattern, characterized by larger size at birth and slower postnatal catch-up growth compared to INDM. Despite severe neonatal hypoglycemia, IDM and INDM infants showed the ability to reach normal growth velocity by 18 months, although IDM had a higher risk of increased adiposity. These findings align with previous research, highlighting the impact of maternal diabetes on the growth trajectory of infants and the potential for long-term metabolic implications.

Conclusion: The growth patterns of infants with neonatal hypoglycemia are influenced by maternal diabetes status. While IDMs are at risk for increased adiposity, both groups show resilience in growth, underscoring the need for ongoing monitoring to support their growth needs.