Body size and neonatal hypoglycemia in intrauterine growth retardation

The relationship between blood glucose and body physique of 233 (42 hypo and 191 normoglycemic) intrauterine growth-retarded neonates was analyzed using different body measurements and indices of body proportions. Classification by combination of weight and length deficit for fetal age revealed that the disproportionately retarded infants (deficit in weight for age >30%; deficit in length for age 30%; length deficit for age >15%). Among the indices of body proportions ponderal index (W/L 3), and percentage deviation from the expected weight for length turned out to be a sensitive predictor of the risk of hypoglycemia. The majority of hypoglycemia neonates were underweight for length and a considerable number of normoglycemic infants were overweight for length. These findings point to the significance of soft tissue wasting rather than low birth weight for gestational age itself, in the development and diagnosis of neonatal hypoglycemia. The significance of anthropometry in the classification of different types of intrauterine growth impairment, as well as in predicting specific hazards after birth is discussed.