Dextrose rub helps newborns with low blood sugar
Massaging the sugary gel into babies’ mouths may lessen need for intravenous infusions
By Nathan Seppa
Newborns with low blood sugar face the prospect of a trip to the intensive care unit and intravenous infusions of glucose. A new study finds a simpler way: rubbing a sweet gel onto the insides of babies’ cheeks. The inexpensive approach could stabilize blood sugar without having to separate moms from new babies.
Low blood sugar in newborns, or neonatal hypoglycemia, occurs when the tiny body needs more glucose to meet energy needs than is available in the bloodstream. Prolonged hypoglycemia risks neurological injury.