Every year many newborns, especially those born early, underweight or sick, face neonatal hypoglycemia. This is a dangerous drop in blood sugar that can cause seizures, brain injury and long-term development problems if it is not found and treated quickly.
Researchers at the Rice360 Institute published a study in BMC Pediatrics and tested 11 commonly available point-of-care glucometers. In the laboratory they changed adult blood samples to match newborn glucose and hematocrit ranges. The tests showed that several low-cost glucometers gave reliable readings at neonatal ranges, which could help hospitals that cannot afford special neonatal meters.
Difficult words
- neonatal — Related to the first days after birth.
- hypoglycemia — A dangerous low level of blood sugar.
- glucometer — A device that measures blood sugar quickly.glucometers
- hematocrit — The percentage of red blood cells in blood.
- seizure — Sudden, uncontrolled brain activity causing shaking.seizures
- reliable — Can be trusted to give correct results.
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Discussion questions
- Why is it important to check a newborn's blood sugar?
- Do you think low-cost reliable glucometers could help small hospitals? Why or why not?
- What should doctors do if a newborn has hypoglycemia?
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