THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DECREASED IRON STORESSERUM IRONAND NEONATAL HYPOGLYCEMIA IN LARGE FOR DATE NEWBORN INFANTS

Abstract

In this work the relationship between neonatal iron status and hypoglycemia was studied in large - for - date infants whether born to diabetic or non - diabetic mothers.

The present study included three groups of full-term newborn infants: the first group included 30 euglycemic large - for- date neonates, the second group included 30 hypoglycemic large - for - date neonates and the third group included 20 normal AGA neonates as a control group.

All infants included in this study were subjected to a full clinical examination, anthropometric measurements (H.C. and M.A.C), and the following laboratory investigations:

• Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels.

• Blood glucose level in both macrosomic groups.

• Serum iron.

• TIBC.

• Serum ferritin.

• Serum transferrin.

Statistical analysis was done to calculate the erythrocyte and storage iron and the combined iron pool, and to check the correlation between all study parameters in the three study groups.

The current study revealed that the hypoglycemic macrosomic infants had significantly lower mean serum iron and ferritin concentrations, and storage iron and significantly higher MAC, MAC/HC ratio, hemoglobin levels, TIBC and transferrin concentrations and erthrocyte iron, when compared to both euglycemic macrosomic and control infants.