Neonatal hyperglycaemia is associated with worse neurodevelopmental outcomes in extremely preterm infants

The N4 Preterm Team has published new results in a prestiguous journal, on the effects of neonatal hyperglycaemia and insulin treatment on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born extremely preterm. This observational Swedish national cohort study, based on the EXPRESS cohort, used prospectively and retrospectively collected data and neurodevelopmental assessment was performed at 6.5 years of age. This included 533 infants born <27 gestational weeks during 2004-2007 of which 436 survivors were assessed at 6.5 years.

The results show that neonatal hyperglycaemia >8 mmol/L was associated with lower intelligence scores and worse motor outcomes at 6.5 years of age. Insulin treatment was not associated with either worsened or improved neurodevelopmental outcomes.

“This is the largest study so far investigating this issue. The study shows for the first time that hyperglycaemia in the first weeks of life, a very common condition in preterm infants, might in fact have dire long-term consequences. More studies are needed focusing on how this condition can be best treated.” says Itay Zamir, the first author of the study.

You can read the article here: https://fn.bmj.com/content/early/2021/04/15/archdischild-2020-319926

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