None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Low blood sugar levels are common in babies after birth. Exclusively breast fed babies have been shown to have lower blood concentrations of glucose and higher concentrations of ketones than babies who receive formula milk. Ketones may provide a source of fuel for energy, particularly for the brain, when glucose concentrations are low. However if a baby does not produce ketones the brain can be starved of energy and be damaged. Measurement of blood ketone concentrations is not routinely done as part of clinical practice. We aim to see whether we can reliably measure ketones in a small drop of blood. We will measure ketones on a point-of-care analyser as well as in the laboratory, using the gold standard analysis and compare the results. The blood test will be taken at the same time as routine blood samples are being taken. If the point-of-care analyser can help identify accurately those at risk of brain damage when glucose concentrations are low, this may help to prevent separation of mothers and babies as breast-feeding is being established.
Interventions
We will measure a ketone (betahydroxybutyrate) on a point of care analyser ("Statstrip", Nova biochemical) and by standard laboratory method. The Statstrip requires a single drop of blood and the result is available in 10 seconds. The Statstrip and the lab samples will be taken simultaneously and the results will be compared. The results will be available to the treating clinicians.
The subjects will be newborn infants in the first 10 days of life, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, a
We will measure a ketone (betahydroxybutyrate) on a point of care analyser ("Statstrip", Nova biochemical) and by standard laboratory method. The Statstrip requires a single drop of blood and the result is available in 10 seconds. The Statstrip and the lab samples will be taken simultaneously and the results will be compared. The results will be available to the treating clinicians. The subjects will be newborn infants in the first 10 days of life, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, and requiring blood tests for clinical purposes. Each subject will be assessed once only.
Sponsors
Waikato Hospital
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
0 to 10 Days
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Gestational age 35 to 42 completed weeks of gestation Age <= 10 days of age Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Exclusion criteria
Major congenital anomalies Terminal conditions
Outcome results
None listed