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Type of feeding provided with dextrose gel impacts hypoglycemia outcomes: comparing donor milk, formula, and breastfeeding

Journal of Perinatology volume 40, pages 1705–1711 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Objective

Examine neonatal hypoglycemia (NH) outcomes based on type of feeding provided with first dextrose gel.

Study design

Retrospective matched cohort study of 99 infants ≥35 weeks gestational age who received dextrose gel in combination with breastfeeding, formula feeding, or donor milk feeding for NH. The exposure was feeding type. The outcomes were: (1) median change in blood glucose (Δ BG) concentration after first gel, (2) odds of second gel, and (3) odds of recurrent NH.

Results

Median Δ BG was greater in formula (17.0 mg/dL) and donor milk (19.0 mg/dL) fed vs. breastfed infants (7.0 mg/dL). Donor milk and formula feeding were both associated with lower odds of second gel and recurrent NH. Associations remained significant in late-preterm infants, but only formula feeding remained significant in full-term infants.

Conclusions

Formula and donor milk feedings both raised blood sugar concentrations, but the impact differed by gestational age.

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Fig. 1: Pre-gel and post-gel blood glucose concentrations by feeding group.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Linda Rosen from the BMC Data warehouse for her work in assistance with data management for this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Sarbattama Sen, Chloe Andrews, Daria Turner & Carmen Monthé-Drèze

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Sarbattama Sen & Carmen Monthé-Drèze

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Evan Anderson & Elisha M. Wachman

Authors
  1. Sarbattama Sen
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  2. Chloe Andrews
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  4. Daria Turner
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  6. Elisha M. Wachman
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Contributions

SS, CA, DT, and EW conceptualized and designed the study. CA did the formal analysis. SS, CA, DT, EA, CMD, and EW helped to write the paper. All authors gave their final approval of the version to be published and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

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Correspondence to Sarbattama Sen.

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Sen, S., Andrews, C., Anderson, E. et al. Type of feeding provided with dextrose gel impacts hypoglycemia outcomes: comparing donor milk, formula, and breastfeeding. J Perinatol 40, 1705–1711 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-020-00776-y

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