Cochrane · systematic review · CD012152

Oral dextrose gel to prevent hypoglycaemia in at‐risk neonates

Roberts, L, Lin, L, Alsweiler, J, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2023 · Cochrane Library

Neonatal3 versionsAMSTAR 2: not assessed

SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.

Questions

current version

GRADE rated

No studies

Included studies

No studies 1 · 14.3%Ungraded 0 · 0%Very low 0 · 0%Low 2 · 28.6%Moderate 3 · 42.9%High 1 · 14.3%

Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.

Questions and results

Current version only

Dextrose gel compared with placebo for prevention of hypoglycaemia in newborn infants

Population: newborn infants at risk of neonatal hypoglycaemia

CD012152.PUB4 (current) · 7 questions

Outcome	Effect	Evidence	Status / GRADE
Hypoglycaemia (investigator‐defined) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 0.87 [0.79, 0.95]	2 studies · 2548 participants	High
Major neurological disability at 2 years of age (Defined as any of the following: legal blindness, sensorineural deafness requiring hearing aids, moderate or severe cerebral palsy or developmental delay/intellectual impairment (developmental quoti... Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 1 [0.59, 1.68]	2 studies · 1554 participants	Low Downgraded: imprecision
Receipt of treatment for hypoglycaemia during initial hospital stay (investigator‐defined, any treatment ‐ oral dextrose gel, intravenous dextrose, or other drug therapy) during initial hospital stay (yes/no) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 0.89 [0.79, 1]	2 studies · 2548 participants	Moderate Downgraded: imprecision, inconsistency
Receipt of intravenous treatment for hypoglycaemia (yes/no) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 1.01 [0.68, 1.49]	2 studies · 2548 participants	Moderate Downgraded: imprecision
Adverse events# (e.g. choking or vomiting at time of administration) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 1.22 [0.64, 2.33]	2 studies · 2510 participants	Moderate Downgraded: imprecision
Separation from mother for treatment of hypoglycaemia (infant nursed in an environment that is not in the same room as the mother, e.g. for NICU admission or the like) (yes/no) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 1.12 [0.81, 1.55]	2 studies · 2548 participants	Low Downgraded: imprecision
Breastfeeding (exclusive after discharge) ‐ not reported (WHO 2008 definition (yes/no)) Dextrose gel vs placebo	no estimate extracted	NR	No studies

Dextrose gel compared with placebo for prevention of hypoglycaemia in newborn infants

Population: newborn infants at risk of neonatal hypoglycaemia

CD012152.PUB3 · 7 questions

Outcome	Effect	Evidence	Status / GRADE
Hypoglycaemia (investigator‐defined) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 0.87 [0.79, 0.95]	2 studies · 2548 participants	High
Major neurological disability at 2 years of age or older (Defined as any of the following: legal blindness, sensorineural deafness requiring hearing aids, moderate or severe cerebral palsy or developmental delay/intellectual impairment (developmen... Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 0.21 [0.05, 0.78]	1 study · 360 participants	Moderate Downgraded: imprecision
Receipt of treatment for hypoglycaemia during initial hospital stay (investigator‐defined, any treatment ‐ oral dextrose gel, intravenous dextrose, or other drug therapy) during initial hospital stay (yes/no) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 0.89 [0.79, 1]	2 studies · 2548 participants	Moderate Downgraded: imprecision
Receipt of intravenous treatment for hypoglycaemia (yes/no) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 1.01 [0.68, 1.49]	2 studies · 2548 participants	Moderate Downgraded: imprecision
Adverse events# (e.g. choking or vomiting at time of administration) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 1.22 [0.64, 2.33]	2 studies · 2510 participants	Moderate Downgraded: imprecision
Separation from mother for treatment of hypoglycaemia (infant nursed in an environment that is not in the same room as the mother, e.g. for NICU admission or the like) (yes/no)) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 1.12 [0.81, 1.55]	2 studies · 2548 participants	Low Downgraded: imprecision, inconsistency
Breastfeeding (exclusive after discharge) ‐ not reported (WHO 2008 definition (yes/no)) Dextrose gel vs placebo	no estimate extracted	NR	No studies

Dextrose gel compared with placebo for prevention of hypoglycaemia in newborn infants

Population: newborn infants at risk of neonatal hypoglycaemia

CD012152.PUB2 · 8 questions

Outcome	Effect	Evidence	Status / GRADE
Hypoglycaemia Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 0.76 [0.62, 0.94]	1 study · 415 participants	High
Major neurological disability at 2 years of age or older ‐ not reported Dextrose gel vs placebo	no estimate extracted	NR	No studies
Receipt of treatment for hypoglycaemia during initial hospital stay ‐ not reported Dextrose gel vs placebo	no estimate extracted	NR	No studies
Receipt of intravenous treatment for hypoglycaemia ‐ not reported Dextrose gel vs placebo	no estimate extracted	NR	No studies
Adverse events (e.g. choking or vomiting at time of administration) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 1.09 [0.55, 2.17]	1 study · 413 participants	Moderate Downgraded: imprecision
Separation from mother for treatment of hypoglycaemia (admission to NICU for hypoglycaemia) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 0.46 [0.21, 1.01]	1 study · 415 participants	Moderate Downgraded: imprecision
Breastfeeding (exclusive at discharge) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 1 [0.86, 1.15]	1 study · 415 participants	Moderate Downgraded: imprecision
Breastfeeding (6 weeks postpartum) Dextrose gel vs placebo	RR 1.06 [0.88, 1.29]	1 study · 386 participants	Moderate Downgraded: imprecision