Question

All of the following groups of newborns are at an increased risk of hypoglycemia EXCEPT

• A. Birth asphyxia
• B. Respiratory distress syndrome
• C. Maternal diabetes
• D. Post term infant

Hint:

Perinatal stress, prematurity, growth restriction, and maternal diabetes raise hypoglycemia risk; simply being born post term does not.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Neonatal hypoglycemia has a short list of well known risk groups, built around low glucose reserves, high glucose demand, or excess insulin. Let's check each option against that list.

1. Birth asphyxia: a stressed, oxygen-starved newborn burns through glucose fast through anaerobic metabolism, making this a solid risk factor.
2. Respiratory distress syndrome: working hard to breathe raises the baby's energy needs sharply, which is another recognised driver of low blood glucose.
3. Maternal diabetes: high maternal glucose crosses the placenta, the fetus responds with extra insulin, and once the cord is cut and the glucose supply stops, that extra insulin drives glucose down fast. This is one of the textbook classic risk groups.
4. Post term infant: a baby simply born after completing a normal term, without growth restriction or placental problems, does not carry a built-in glucose handling problem the way a preterm, growth restricted, or diabetic mother's infant does.

Three of the four options load extra metabolic stress or extra insulin onto the newborn. Being post term by itself does none of that, so it stands apart from the other three.

Let's summarize:

• Perinatal stress states like asphyxia and respiratory distress push glucose use up.
• Infants of diabetic mothers face a post-birth insulin surge.
• A straightforward post term birth is not part of the classic hypoglycemia risk list.

So the exception here is the post term infant, option 4.