The Incidence of Neonatal Hypoglycaemia in Benin

Abstract

Summary: Blood sugar concentrations were evaluated among 1,061 infants admitted into the Special-Care-Baby-Unit, Department of Child Health, University of Benin, over a two-and-half-year period. Seventy infants developed hypoglycaemia, giving an incidence of 6.6 per cent. The incidence for low birthweight infants was 7.9 per cent. Asphyxia was the single most important perinatal factor which predisposed the neonate to hypoglycaemia. Other at-risk infants were those delivered by emergency Caesarean section, low birthweight infants and septicaemic infants.