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Neonatal hypoglycemia after antenatal late preterm steroids in individuals with diabetes

Abstract

Objective

To establish whether administration of antenatal late preterm steroids to pregnant people with diabetes resulted in higher risk of neonatal hypoglycemia.

Study design

This is a retrospective cohort study of individuals with pre-gestational or gestational diabetes admitted between 34 0/7-36 6/7 weeks’ gestation before and after introduction of an antenatal late preterm steroids protocol. The primary outcome was any neonatal blood glucose ≤ 60 mg/dL in the first 24 h of life.

Results

Of 123 mother-neonate pairs, 52.8% (N = 65) delivered during the post-protocol period; 75.4% of those (N = 49) received late preterm steroids. 59.7% (N = 34) of the pre-protocol neonates and 81.5% (N = 53) of the post-protocol neonates had hypoglycemia (p = 0.008). After controlling for gestational age at delivery and mode of delivery, neonates in the post-protocol group had increased odds of hypoglycemia (adjusted odds ratio 2.96, 95% confidence interval 1.29-6.82).

Conclusion

Neonates born to mothers with diabetes who received late preterm corticosteroids experienced greater odds of hypoglycemia.

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Author contributions

AMD was responsible for analyzing the data, interpretation of results, and writing the manuscript. NB was responsible for study design, data analysis, and interpretation of results. PE and AH contributed to data collection and data interpretation. LMY was responsible for the study design, interpretation of results, analysis of data, and oversight of the study. All authors have reviewed the final manuscript and take responsibility for findings therein.

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported, in part, by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Grant Number UL1TR001422. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Correspondence to Annie M. Dude.

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Dude, A.M., Yee, L.M., Henricks, A. et al. Neonatal hypoglycemia after antenatal late preterm steroids in individuals with diabetes. J Perinatol 41, 2749–2753 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-021-01267-4

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