Table 1. Characteristics of mothers and babies randomized to placebo or dextrose gel.
| Characteristic | Placebo | Dextrose |
|---|---|---|
| Mothers (N = 2,051) | N = 1,025 | N = 1,026 |
| Maternal age (years) | 32.2 (5.4) | 32.2 (5.3) |
| Prioritized ethnicity | ||
| Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander | 24 (2.3%) | 9 (0.9%) |
| Maori | 122 (11.9%) | 116 (11.3%) |
| Pacific | 56 (5.5%) | 60 (5.9%) |
| Asian | 346 (33.8%) | 351 (34.2%) |
| Indian | 162 (15.8%) | 166 (16.2%) |
| Other | 76 (7.4%) | 76 (7.4%) |
| European | 239 (23.3%) | 248 (24.2%) |
| Diabetes | ||
| Type 1 diabetes | 31 (3.7%) | 38 (4.6%) |
| Type 2 diabetes | 66 (8.0%) | 57 (6.8%) |
| Gestational diabetes | 732 (88.3%) | 740 (88.6%) |
| Diabetes management* | ||
| Diet | 407 (39.8%) | 417 (40.7%) |
| Metformin | 258 (25.2%) | 247 (24.1%) |
| Insulin | 451 (44.1%) | 432 (42.2%) |
| Antenatal corticosteroids | 41 (4.0%) | 46 (4.5%) |
| Prelabor prolonged rupture of membranes* | 81 (7.9%) | 87 (8.5%) |
| Chorioamnionitis* | 5 (0.5%) | 5 (0.5%) |
| Mode of delivery | ||
| Normal vaginal | 494 (48.2%) | 464 (45.2%) |
| Instrumental vaginal | 123 (12.0%) | 125 (12.2%) |
| Cesarean section | 405 (39.5%) | 436 (42.5%) |
| Babies (N = 2,133) | N = 1,063 | N = 1,070 |
| Singleton | 999 (94.3%) | 991 (92.7%) |
| Girls | 523 (49.2%) | 515 (48.1%) |
| Gestational age (weeks) | 38.5 (1.1) | 38.4 (1.1) |
| Birthweight (g) | 3,313 (594) | 3,328 (613) |
| Length (cm) | 49.9 (2.5) | 50.0 (2.8) |
| Head circumference (cm) | 34.5 (1.7) | 34.6 (1.8) |
| Birthweight z-score | 0.20 (1.13) | 0.25 (1.13) |
| Length z-score | 0.23 (0.98) | 0.30 (1.09) |
| Head circumference z-score | 0.35 (1.09) | 0.39 (1.16) |
| Apgar score < 7 at 5 minutes# | 5 (0.5%) | 10 (0.9%) |
| Primary reason for risk of hypoglycemia | ||
| Infant of mother with diabetes | 856 (80.5%) | 863 (80.7%) |
| Preterm (<37 weeks’ gestation) | 76 (7.2%) | 75 (7.0%) |
| Small (<2.5 kg or <10th centile) | 84 (7.9%) | 83 (7.8%) |
| Large (>4.5 kg or >90th centile) | 47 (4.4%) | 49 (4.6%) |
| Two risk factors | 178 (16.8%) | 175 (16.5%) |
| Three risk factors | 7 (0.7%) | 14 (1.3%) |
Data are n (%) or mean (SD).
*n = 1,022 placebo, 1,024 dextrose.
#n = 1,060 placebo, 1,069 dextrose.