Should routine peripheral blood glucose testing be done for all newborns at birth?

Purpose: To determine the (1) incidence of peripheral blood glucose (PBG < 40 mg/dL) in infants within 2 hours of birth and (2) validity of using maternal and infant risk factors and/or infant signs/symptoms of hypoglycemia as a screen for PBG < 40 mg/dL.

Study Design: Descriptive study with a convenience sample of 220 mother-infant dyads admitted to a mother-baby unit. Maternal and infant risk factors and infant signs/symptoms of hypoglycemia were assessed, and a PBG value was obtained within 2 hours of birth from the infant.