Neonatal hypoglycemia in infants with intrauterine growth retardation due to pregnancy-induced hypertension.

The early-onset type (onset earlier than 28 gestational weeks) of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) has the clinical characteristics of a high incidence of intrauterine growth retardations (IUGR), fetal distress, neonatal hypoglycemia and hypertensive disposition. Moreover, the infants from early-onset type of PIH mothers showed a statistically significant higher incidence of neurological handicap (cerebral palsy, mental retardation and epilepsy) than late onset type. The infants with a neurological handicap had severe IUGR and intractable hypoglycemia in the early neonatal period, probably due to low storage of glucose in the liver and fetal hypoxia. Appropriate perinatal management, including proper evaluation of fetal well-being and good timing of delivery, could improve the outcome of infants from early-onset type of PIH mothers.