Isn’t It Sweet? 40% Glucose Gel Made Just For Babies
Sweet Cheeks® 40% Glucose gel— specifically designed for neonates, benefits babies and clinicians.
Glucose Gel Use In Neonates
40% glucose gel has been demonstrated in the literature as an effective means of stabilizing blood glucose levels in the early newborn period for certain neonatal patients. By reducing the need for IV dextrose, the use of glucose gel in certain neonates has been shown in clinical studies to:
- Decrease length of stay
- Reduce admissions to neonatal intensive care units
- Decrease total costs incurred by patients’ families
Glucose gel has also been shown in clinical studies to have a positive impact on the percentage of babies consuming a 100% human milk diet by decreasing the need for formula supplementation. Other clinical studies have shown that glucose gel is simple to use, well-tolerated by infants, and may allow parents and babies to stay together in the post-birth period.
Risks & Limitations of Commonly-Used Formulations
Historically, commercial glucose gels labeled for over-the-counter use in children over the age of two or adults have been repurposed for use in neonatal units. This method is not without risks and inefficiencies. The amount of glucose gel within a typical commercially available container far exceeds what is needed for neonatal administration. Facilities must therefore either repackage the gel into smaller containers, introducing the potential risk of contamination during transfer and decreasing the efficiency of clinical workflows or discard the excess glucose, potentially resulting in financial waste.
In commercial pediatric and adult preparations, uneven distribution of glucose within a single tube has been found in clinical studies. Glucose gels intended for pediatric or adult use are often intended to be ingested all at once, making any differences in concentration throughout the container less concerning in those populations. However, taking small aliquots from the same single over-the-counter container to administer the gel to neonates presents a risk of variation among the aliquots, potentially impacting the percentage of glucose received by each baby. This could unintentionally lead to variability in clinical response to the intervention.
A Neonatal Formulation Designed to Improve Efficiency & Reduce Waste
The apparent risks associated with using over-the-counter pediatric and adult glucose gels for neonates have largely been tolerated by clinicians due to the lack of a viable alternative. To address this important need, Dandle•LION Medical developed Sweet Cheeks 40% Glucose Gel.
Sweet Cheeks is packaged inside an oral syringe in 3mL aliquots, making the administration of neonatal glucose gel simple and efficient with no age limitations. After verifying the ordered amount of glucose gel, clinicians simply squeeze out the excess gel, leaving only the gel needed for their patient. The gel is then squeezed onto a clean, gloved fingertip and applied inside the buccal cavity for direct absorption into the bloodstream.
To request a sample of Sweet Cheeks 40% Glucose Gel, please click here.
