In the Level 2 Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), Nambour General Hospital, Nambour, Queensland, it is common practice

for cot-side glucose meters to be used to screen for neonatal hypoglycaemia. They provide a rapid, simple and less expensive method of estimating blood glucose compared with laboratory analysis. Glucose meters, however, have been shown to be imprecise and prone to interference.1–5 Glucose meters are most inaccurate for glucose levels less than 3.0 mmol/L, which are the values of most concern to paediatricians.6–8 The management of cot-side glucose meter readings of less than 2.6 mmol/L is to confirm the result by laboratory analysis. Furthermore, if the glucose meter recorded a result less than 2.0 mmol/L (with a delay in confirmation of results expected of up to 60 min) a glucose infusion is commenced. If the labora-tory analysis shows a satisfactory glucose level, the neonate has been over-treated, undergone unnecessary invasive proce-dures and has been exposed to possible infection, pain and blood loss. In addition, there has been mother/baby separation during a crucial time of bonding, and a delay in the initiation of breastfeeding. This invasive treatment could be avoided if there was a quicker, more accurate method available for assessing the blood glucose. The aims of this study were: (i) To evaluate in the clinical setting two electrochemical glucose meters, the Advantag