Background

Glucose metabolism disorders are common in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants and are associated with high morbidity and mortality [1-9]. This study was con-ducted to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors asso-ciated with both hypo and hyperglycemia in ELBW infants. Materials and methods All inborn ELBW neonates admitted to our NICU dur-ing a 5-year period were eligible for this retrospective analysis. Exclusion criteria were: birth weight (BW) <400 grams, major congenital malformations, death during the first 24 hours of life. Hypoglycemia was defined as blood glucose level (BGL) ≤45 mg/dL; hyperglycemia as BGL>240 mg/dL in a single determination or>180 mg/dL in two determinations at 2-hour intervals. Continuou