why would big baby have low blood sugar levels if mum didnt have gestational diabetes

[Razzberry]

Hi,

My sis in law just gave birth today to a 10pound 7 baby boy! he was 54 cms and head circ of 38.5. He is currently in special care where they said he will stay for 24 hours as has low blood sugars. I am just wondering why this has happened if his mum didn't have gestational diabetes?

Kinda scares me when I am due in less than 4 weeks and they have predicated a large baby too!

[LionsandBears]

The GD may not have been picked up. I have a freind who had her GD test at 26 weeks and passed. Bub was born at 36 weeks, was a big, swollen baby and had low blood sugar. He looked like a typical GD baby. They worked out she must have developed it after she did the test. It's one reason for doing regular finger***** tests, rather than a one off thing like the GCT or GTT.

My Mum had 4 big babies, all perfectly healthy. We're just tall.

[Razzberry]

Thanks L&B, I guess its totally possible for her to have developed it later on as she had the test done early I think at 24 weeks as her brother has diabetes so they said she was high risk. They predicted a large baby but didn't test her again for it. Hopefully his levels stabilise soon and her can be with his mummy and daddy.

[lyra stardust]

It is possible that your friend had GD that wasn't picked up, or that she had a borderline hyperglycaemia that affected the baby once he was out of the womb. However, being large for gestational age is an independent risk factor for low blood sugar, so even in a non diabetic mother, large babies are at higher risk for this.

My understanding is that this is because they just have a higher metabolism and so burn their glucose and glycogen stored more quickly than a normal sized baby.

We had to screen all babies over 4kg and under 2.5kg regardless of maternal diabetes when I was working on the nurseries. Hope that helps!

Hope he does well and it out and with his mum soon!