Neonatal hypoglycemia screening in newborns from diabetic mothers - Arguments and controversies-

The most important known metabolic complication of the newborns from diabetic mothers, including diabetes type 1 and 2 and gestational diabetes, is the postnatal hypoglycemia. If unrecognized and undiagnosed, hypoglycemia in this particular high-risk group can determine severe neurological lesions and even death, in a significantly higher proportion than those from the general population. The present paper brings arguments for the crucial importance of screening for post-natal hypoglycemia in the early hours after birth, and discusses the management strategies and the topics that still remain in debate.