Compensatory increase of CBF in preterm infants during hypoglycaemia.

Cerebral blood flow (CBF00) was investigated in 24 preterm infants (mean 30.8 weeks of gestational age) by use of intravenous 133-Xe clearance technique while screening simultaneously for low blood glucose after birth (mean 3 hours). CBF was significantly increased in 10 infants with blood glucose lower than 1.7 mmol/l compared to normoglycaemic infants and tended to decrease rapidly after treatment. Nine of the 10 hypoglycaemic infants were monitored for cerebral function. Well defined visual evoked cortical potentials were elicitable in all and the aEEG was not less active during the hypoglycaemic episode. Therefore, it is suggested that compensatory increase of CBF may have supported the cerebral metabolism during uncomplicated hypoglycaemia.