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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Aug 19.
Published in final edited form as: Neonatology. 2021 Aug 19;118(5):509–521. doi: 10.1159/000517951

Table 2.

Summary of Results

van der Lugt, 20107 Heald, 201227 Ramel, 201324 Scheurer, 201625 Tottman, 20176 Tottman, 201826 Zamir, 201928 Gonzalez Villamizar, 202023
Location Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands Australian National University Medical School, Canberra Hospital, Australia University of MN Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, MN, USA University of MN Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, MN, USA National Women’s Hospital; Auckland, New Zealand National Women’s Hospital; Auckland, New Zealand Sweden (Lund, Umea, Stockholm) University of MN Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Study design Retrospective follow-up Retrospective Retrospective Prospective observational Retrospective observational cohort Randomized control trial, follow-up Prospective, population-based cohort Retrospective post-hoc analysis from prospective study
Population 24-32 weeks GA, Jan 2002 - Dec 2006 25-28 weeks GA, Jan 2006 - Dec 2008 22-30 weeks GA, AGA infants, Jan 2003 - July 2007 AGA VLBW infants, April 2011 to Nov 2012 23-35 weeks GA, July 2005 - Oct 2008 <1500 grams or <30 weeks GA, HINT 2005-2008 <27 weeks GA, April 2004 - March 2007 22-32 weeks GA, Feb 2012 - June 2016
Exposure Hyperglycemia Hyperglycemia treated with insulin Hyperglycemia Hyperglycemia Hyperglycemia Hyperglycemia Hyperglycemia Hyperglycemia
Definition (hyperglycemia) ≥2 BG 180 mg/dL (≥10.0 mmol/L) during a 12-hour period ≥2 BG of 180 mg/dL (≥10.0 mmol/L) during a 12-hour period BG >150 mg/dL (>8.3 mmol/L) BG >150 mg/dL (>8.3 mmol/L); Moderate (1-5) and severe (>5) hyperglycemia days ≥ 2 measures of BG ≥155 mg/dL (≥8.6 mmol/L) >1 hour apart or any BG ≥182 mg/dL (≥10.1 mmol/L) 2 consecutive measures of BG≥153 mg/dL (≥8.5 mmol/L) at least ≥4 hour apart Tiers of assessment: BG >180 mg/dL (>10.0 mmol/L), >216 mg/dL (>12.0 mmol/L), 252 mg/dL (>14.0 mmol/L) BG >150 mg/dL (>8.3 mmol/L)
Comparator Age matched controls without hyperglycemia No insulin treatment Normoglycemia Normoglycemia Normoglycemia (study included 2 additional groups: hypoglycemia and unstable glycemia) Hyperglycemic neonates randomized to tight (treated with insulin) vs. standard (+/− insulin treatment) glycemic control Normoglycemia 3 groups: normoglycemia; 1-4 days of hyperglycemia; >5 days of hyperglycemia
Sample size * N=96(n=33 hyperglycemia; n=63 without hyperglycemia) N=97 (n=80 no insulin, n=17 insulin) N=80 N=50 (n=30 normoglycemia, n=12 1-5 days of hyperglycemia, n=8 >5 days of hyperglycemia) N=360 (n=287 normoglycemic, n=73 hyperglycemic) N=88 (n=43 tight glycemic control, n=45 standard glycemic control) N=171 N=97
Incidence (hyperglycemia) * 8% (25% of ELBW infants) 17.5% hyperglycemia + insulin drip 77% 45% (26% moderate, 19% severe) 16% All infants in cohort 47% 49% (27% <5 days; 22%≥5 days)
Assessment (glucose) Whole blood Not reported Not reported Not reported Whole blood (blood gas analyzer) Whole blood (glucose oxidase method) Plasma Not reported
Treatment (hyperglycemia) Insulin (0.05 U/kg/hr) was started when hyperglycemia persisted >12 hrs despite reduction of GIR of 5-6 mg/kg/min Insulin (0.01 u/kg/hr) was started when BG>180-216 mg/dL + glycosuria on 10% dextrose At discretion of neonatologist, general guideline: limit GIR to 7 mg/kg/min followed by insulin bolus/infusion At discretion of neonatologist, general guideline: limit GIR to 7 mg/kg/min followed by insulin bolus/infusion Reducing GIR or initiation of insulin infusion to maintain BG of 72-180 mg/dL (4-10 mmol/L) •Standard glycemic control: BG maintained <180 mg/dL (<10.0 mmol/L). Insulin treatment when BG>180 mg/dL (>10.0 mmol/L) or persistent glycosuria >2+; tolerating < 100 kcal/kg/day; >72 hours of age, and not acutely stressed.
•Tight control: BG maintained <155 mg/dL (<8.6 mmol/L) with insulin treatment
•Insulin treatment: Insulin (0.05 u/kg/hr) was infused to maintain BG in standard group 144-180 mg/dL (8-10 mmol/L) or in tight group 72-108 mg/dL (4-6 mmol/L)
At the discretion of neonatologist At discretion of neonatologist, general guideline: limit GIR to 7 mg/kg/min followed by insulin bolus/infusion
Age (outcome measurement) 2 years (±3 months) CGA 12 months CGA Discharge, 4 months, 12 months, and 24 months CGA Term CGA, 4 months CGA 2 years CGA 7 years CGA (±6 months) 6.5 years (±3 months) Discharge, 4 months CGA (metabolic outcomes), 12 months CGA (neurodevelopment outcomes)
Growth outcomes No difference in weight, length, OFC No difference in <10th percentile weight, length, OFC •Decrease in weight
•No difference in length or OFC
•Decrease in growth velocity correlated with >5 days of hyperglycemia
≥5 days of hyperglycemia associated with:
•Increase in weight
•Decrease in length and OFC
Not reported •Decrease in height, leg-length, and growth velocity between 36 weeks CGA to 7 years CA in tight control group
•No differences in weight, sitting height, OFC, or BMI
Not reported Not reported
Metabolic outcomes Not reported Not reported Not reported ≥5 days of hyperglycemia is associated with increases in fat free mass, fat mass, and percent body fat Not reported •Lower fasting glucose in tight group
•Lower height adjusted lean mass in tight group
•No differences in abdominal circumference, blood pressure, fasting insulin concentration, glucose effectiveness, glucose disappearance constant, acute insulin response to glucose, insulin sensitivity, fat mass, height-adjusted fat mass, android/gynoid fat ratio, lean mass, bone mineral density, height-adjusted bone mineral density
•Increased daily carbohydrate intake was associated with increased z-score for both SBP and DBP
•BG>216 mg/dL (12 mmol/L) >2 days was associated with higher SBP z-scores
•BG>180 mg/DL (10 mmol/L) for >3 days or >216 mg/dL (12 mmol/L) for >2 days was associated with higher DBP
•Duration of BG>216 mg/dL (12 mmol/L) was positively associated with DBP z-score
•BG>252 mg/dL (14 mmol/L was positively associated with both SBP and DBP z-scores
Hyperglycemia ≥5 days was negatively associated with fat free mass z score a 4 months’ PMA
Neurodevelopment outcomes •Increased abnormal neurological examination with hyperglycemia
•Increased abnormal Child Behavior Checklist/2-3 with hyperglycemia
•Insulin treatment did not affect outcomes
•No differences in GQ/MDI <-2SD on either GMDS or BSID-II, CP incidence, need for walking aids, bilateral blindness, or bilateral hearing loss •Increase in cognitive BSID-III scores
•No difference in language or motor BSID-III scores
Not reported Decreased OR of survival without neurodevelopment impairment on BSID-II or BSID-III •No differences in neurodevelopment impairment (WISC-IV full scale IQ<85, MABC-2 total score <5th percentile, CP, blind, deaf) between tight and standard glycemic control in hyperglycemic infants
•No difference in cognitive (WISC-IV), motor (MABC-2), or executive function (BRIEF) between groups
Not reported Hyperglycemia for ≥5 days was negatively associated with cognition, language, and motor scores on the BSID-III
Sex-specific outcomes Not reported (63% male, no differences between groups) Not reported Not reported (50% male) Not reported (51% male, no differences between groups) Not reported (55% male, no differences between groups) Not reported (48% male, no differences between groups) Not reported (56% male, no differences between groups) Not reported (52% male, no differences between groups)
Follow-up rate 87% 95% 100% at 1-year follow-up; 78% at 2-year follow-up 95% at discharge from NICU; 89% at 4-month CGA follow-up 65% at 2-year follow-up 78% for primary outcome (survival without neurodevelopment impairment); 65% follow-up at 7 years 35% of initial population-based cohort 78% at 4 months; 68% at 12 months
Confounders • Gestational age, gender, birth weight, length of stay, exposure to steroids, presence of severe RDS, sepsis, PROM, chorioamnionitis, NEC, BPD, PVL, and IVH.
•Confounding was minimized by matching and using multivariable regression analysis
• Gestational age, birth weight, illness.
•No age-matching.
•Confounding was minimized by multivariable regression analysis.
• Caloric deficit and insulin use.
•Confounding was minimized by linear mixed effects regression.
• None listed.
•Confounding was minimized by linear regression.
Gestational age, birth weight z-score, socioeconomic quintile at birth, and neurodevelopment assessment type at 2 years PMA Sex, deprivation index, SGA, multiple births, protein intake in first 14 days of life. •Gestational age and heart rate at follow up
•Results not adjusted for steroid treatment, weight, body mass index
• Gestational age, average first week kilocalorie deficit, average first week protein deficit, SNAP-II score, IVH, OFC z score at discharge.
•Confounding was minimized by linear regression analysis. Modeling used to account for nutrition and illness severity.

Abbreviations: AGA: Average weight for gestational age, BG: Blood glucose, BMI: Body mass index, BPD: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, BRIEF: Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Function, BSID: Bayley Scales of Development, CGA: Corrected gestational age, CP: Cerebral palsy, DBP: diastolic blood pressure, ELBW: extremely low birthweight, GA: Gestational age, GIR: glucose infusion rate, GMDS: Griffith Mental Development Scales, GQ: Griffiths General Quotient, HINT: Hyperglycemia and Insulin in Neonates Trial, IQ: Intelligence quotient, IVH: Intraventricular hemorrhage, MABC: Movement Assessment Battery for Children, MDI: Bayley’s Mental Developmental Index, NEC: Necrotizing enterocolitis, NICU: neonatal intensive care unit, OFC: Occipital frontal circumference, OR: odds ratio; PMA: postmenstrual age, PROM: Premature rupture of membranes, PVL: Periventricular leukomalacia, RDS: Respiratory Distress Syndrome, SBP: systolic blood pressure, SGA: Small weight for gestational age, SNAP: Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology, SD: standard deviation, VLBW: Very low birthweight infant, WISC: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

*

The sample size reported in this table reflects the sample size of the cohort studied at the long-term timepoint. The incidence of hyperglycemia reported in this table reflects the incidence reported by the authors in each study which in some cases reflects the incidence of hyperglycemia in the larger early neonatal cohort.6,7