Assessment of risk factors and complications of neonatal hypoglycemia in Suez Canal University Hospital

Introduction Hypoglycemia (HG) is the most common metabolic disturbance in newborns, often reflecting the natural process of glucose metabolism and typically being temporary. Aim Our study aims to assess the risk factors associated with the incidence of neonatal HG and complications of neonatal HG. Patients and methods A case–control study was conducted on newborns with neonatal HG in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Suez Canal University Hospital. Study participants were divided into two groups: study groups ( n =70) consisting of neonates diagnosed with neonatal HG and control groups ( n =70) consisting of matched Healthy newborns (matched gestational age and sex) with normal blood glucose levels. A complete medical history, physical examination, and laboratory investigation were conducted for the study groups. Results According to our study the case group showed that diabetes has the highest frequent maternal risk factor (41.5%) while most of mothers in the study group (75.7%) had no maternal risk factors. There was a significant improvement in the blood glucose level at 4 h of admission. The HG duration for the case group was 2.02±1.81 h, while the mean duration of admission was 5.74±3.22 days. Gestational diabetes showed significant positive correlation with the incidence of neonatal HG. There were significant positive correlations between apnea and neonatal HG. Conclusion Gestational diabetes, birth weight, and Apgar scores are key factors in identifying neonates at risk of HG. Despite its seriousness, HG’s impact should be considered alongside broader clinical factors due to its limited predictive power for adverse outcomes.