A newborn's blood glucose is 40 mg/dL. What action should the nurse take first?

• A. Hold the next scheduled feeding
• B. Contact the nurse-midwife or health care provider
• C. Document the results in the newborn's medical record
• D. Ask the laboratory to draw another blood sample in 2 hours and repeat the test

Answer: (D)

The first priority is to verify the reading before taking action. In a newborn, a glucose value around the hypoglycemia threshold can be influenced by sampling errors, technique, or lab processing. Rechecking with another blood sample (and repeating the test in a short interval) helps determine whether the low value is persistent or just a one-time artifact. If the repeat shows persistent hypoglycemia or if the infant has symptoms, you’d escalate to feeding or IV glucose. If the repeat is normal, unnecessary interventions are avoided. Holding a feeding would worsen potential hypoglycemia, and simply documenting or contacting the provider without confirming the value doesn’t address whether treatment is truly needed.