Blood Glucose ≤30 mg/dL as a Predictor of Symptomatic Hypoglycemia among Hypoglycemic Neonates in the First Four Hours of Life

Barrientos Martel C.J.; Ordaya Gonzales R.W.; Chaponan Lavalle A.; Aguirre-Quispe W. · Journal of Pediatric Research (2026) · DOI: 10.4274/jpr.galenos.2026.49207

Resumen

Aim: To determine predictors of symptomatic presentation among neonates diagnosed with hypoglycemia within the first four hours of life. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the medical records of hypoglycemic neonates evaluated within four hours postpartum at neonatology unit of the Hospital Nacional Docente Madre Niño San Bartolomé in Lima, Peru. Neonates with symptomatic hypoglycemia were compared to those with asymptomatic hypoglycemia. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed. Results: Among 95 hypoglycemic neonates, 48 (50.5%) exhibited symptoms. A blood glucose level ≤30 mg/dL was strongly associated with symptomatic presentation [adjusted odds ratio: 5.84; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.58-21.5]. ROC analysis demonstrated fair discriminatory capacity (area under the curve: 0.671; 95% CI: 0.562-0.779). No significant associations were found for sex, birth weight, or gestational age. Conclusion: Among hypoglycemic neonates, a glucose level ≤30 mg/dL is a predictor of symptomatic presentation within the first four hours. The model's modest discriminatory performance highlights the need for larger prospective studies to refine risk stratification. Copyright 2026 The Author(s). Published by Galenos Publishing House on behalf of Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Ege Children’s Foundation. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Instituciones: Universidad Científica del Sur