Abstract
The brain is probably the major glucose consuming organ in neonates. In adults brain glucose consumption is ± 5 mg/100 g brain tissue/min. In newborn infants with a brain size of ± 130 g/kg body weight this would account for 6.5 mg glucose /kg/min.
Infants: We measured glucose turnover rates in 42 infants on the first day of life, (gestational age 29 - 40 week range, 35.3 ± 3.2 mean ± SD, birth weight 0.88 - 4.77 kg range, 2.23 ± 0.97 mean ± SD) using a stable isotope dilution technique with [6,6 2H2]glucose. Brain weight was calculated from the head circumference by the method of Cooke et al. (EHD 1977; 1/2: 145-9).
Results: Brain weight was 306 ± 79 g (mean ± SD, range 155 - 435 g). Whole body glucose turnover was 5.4 ± 1.1 mg/kg/min (mean ± SD, 3.1 - B. 2 mg/kg/min range) The amount of glucose theoretically available for brain tissue consumption ranged from 1.85 mg/100 g brain tissue per min in infants with the highest brain size (19.9 % of bodyweight, SGA infants) to 7.02 mg glucose/100 g brain tissue per min in infants with the lowest brain size (B % of body weight)
Conclusion: Brain tissue glucose consumption in neonates, particularly in SGA infants must be lower than in adults.
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Baarsma, R., Okken, A. BRAIN SIZE AND NEONATAL GLUCOSE TURNOVER RATES. Pediatr Res 35, 271 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199402000-00100
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199402000-00100