Bood glucose level in pregnancy.

Oral glucose tolerance curves were constructed for 50 normal pregnant women, 25 pre-diabetics and 25 cases of diabetic pregnant women of different degrees of disturbance in carbohydrate metabolism. The mean rise in blood glucose level after the intake of 50 g glucose, was 53% in normal cases, and only 41% in the prediabetic cases, due to increased insulin secretion in the prediabetic group. This group of pregnants gave flat-topped curves in 60% of the cases studied, as compared to 10% of the normal pregnant cases in the same study. This was attributed to delayed insulin secretion in the prediabetic group. On the other hand, all diabetic cases gave peaked glucose tolerance curves during the first hour after glucose intake. The results of insulin-glucose tolerance test, effect of fasting for four hours and tolbutamide sensitivity test suggested that the prediabetic pregnants showed hyperinsulinemia which became evident during fasting. The pancreas of the prediabetic responds more readily, by the release of insulin, to the stimulus of oral hypoglycemic agents, such as sodium tolbutamide, than in the case of normal pregnants. Measurements of serum inorganic phosphorus, serum potassium and serum alkaline phosphatase of these 3 groups of pregnants, showed a definite disturbance in the liver function of the prediabetics which became more obvious in the diabetic group.