Exclusive breastfeeding and postnatal changes in blood sodium, ketone, and glucose levels.

BACKGROUND: Blood sodium and ketone levels are parameters of dehydration and fasting, respectively. However, little is known about the postnatal changes in these parameters that occur in healthy, term, exclusively breastfed neonates.

METHODS: Capillary blood sodium, beta-hydroxybutyrate (βOHB), and glucose levels in 628 samples obtained from 392 healthy, term, exclusively breastfed neonates during the first 12 to 143 hours of life were examined.

RESULTS: Blood sodium and βOHB levels gradually increased and reached their highest levels at 48 to 59 hours of life (mean blood sodium = 142.3 ± 2.8 mEq/L, mean blood sodium increase = 3.3 mEq/L, mean βOHB = 1.16 ± 0.46 mmol/L, mean βOHB increase = 0.65 mmol/L), and then gradually decreased and showed the lowest levels at 120 to 143 hours of life. Blood glucose levels gradually decreased and reached their lowest levels at 48 to 59 hours of life (mean = 62.4 ± 12.2 mg/dL, mean decrease = 4.7 mg/dl), and then gradually increased and showed the highest levels at 120 to 143 hours of life. These changes were synchronized with changes in weight-loss percentage.

CONCLUSION: We demonstrated postnatal changes in blood sodium, ketone, and glucose levels during the first 12 to 143 hours of life in healthy, term, exclusively breastfed neonates. The values for those parameters seemed to be associated with the sufficiency of breastmilk supply. Our results can serve as normal reference values for healthy, term, exclusively breastfed neonates during the early postnatal period. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.