Prevalence of hypoglycemia among patients presenting with cholestasis of infancy in a nigerian teaching hospital.

Objective: This study assesses the prevalence of hypoglycemia among patients presenting at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria with cholestasis of infancy.

Methods: During a period of five years, forty patients aged between 15 days and 12 months who presented with cholestasis of infancy, were admitted and screened for hypoglycemia, using Accutrend glucometer. For patients with low blood glucose values, blood samples were further analyzed, using the standard glucose-oxidase method.

Results: Of the 2,835 patients admitted over a five-year period, 40 (1.4%) had cholestasis of infancy, giving an incidence of 14 cases per 1000 admissions, with a sex ratio of 2.1: 1 in favour of males. Nine (22.5%) of the 40 infants with cholestasis had at least one blood glucose concentration less than 2.6 mmol/L (hypoglycemia). Of the nine hypoglycemic infants, three (33.3%) had one blood glucose concentration less than 1.6 mmol/L (severe hypoglycemia). Seven (77.8%) of the nine hypoglycemic infants were diagnosed in the first 36 hours of admission. Lethargy and poor feeding were observed in three infants with severe hypoglycemia and three of them died. Six (66.7%) of the hypoglycemic infants were below 3 months of age.

Conclusions: Hypoglycemia was observed among patients with cholestasis of infancy and the prevalence was higher among infants below 3 months of age.