A nurse is providing education to a pregnant client with gestational diabetes.

The nurse explains that if the baby develops low blood sugar after birth due to excess insulin production, it can lead to which of the following complications if left untreated?

The correct answer is choice D. 20 mg/dL.This is because a blood glucose level below 40 mg/dL is considered hypoglycemia in a newborn.Hypoglycemia can cause neurological damage and other complications in newborns.

Choice A.40 mg/dL is wrong because this is the lower limit of normal blood glucose level for a newborn.

Choice B.35 mg/dL is wrong because this is slightly below the normal range but not low enough to be hypoglycemic.

Choice C.30 mg/dL is wrong because this is also below the normal range but not as low as choice D. Normal blood glucose levels for newborns are between 40 and 150 mg/dL, depending on the time of measurement and the feeding status.Blood glucose levels are usually lowest 1 to 2 hours after birth and then gradually increase over the next few days.

The correct answer is choice B. Jaundice.

Jaundice is a condition where the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow due to excess bilirubin in the blood.

Bilirubin is a byproduct of red blood cell breakdown.If the baby develops low blood sugar after birth due to excess insulin production, it can lead to increased red blood cell breakdown and jaundice.

Choice A is wrong because respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a condition where the baby has difficulty breathing due to immature lungs and lack of surfactant.RDS is more common in preterm babies and babies of diabetic mothers, but it is not caused by low blood sugar.

Choice C is wrong because preterm birth is a birth that occurs before 37 weeks of gestation.Preterm birth can be caused by many factors, such as infection, placental abruption, or multiple gestation, but it is not a complication of low blood sugar after birth.

Choice D is wrong because preeclampsia is a condition where the mother develops high blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation.Preeclampsia can affect the placenta and the baby’s growth, but it is not a complication of low blood sugar after birth.

Normal ranges for blood sugar in newborns are 40 to 80 mg/dL (2.2 to 4.4 mmol/L).Normal ranges for bilirubin in newborns are 1 to 12 mg/dL (17 to 205 µmol/L).