effect of glucose levels in diabetic mothers infant birth weight

ABSTRACT

This study is done on 20 well known pregnant diabetic women. Both fasting and postprandial blood glucose were measured in each case during the third trimester. There was 6 macrocosmic infants [30%] and 14 infants with average weight for gestational age. Both fasting and postprandial glucose level in maternal blood of the mothers giving birth to macrocosmic infants were found to be significantly higher than in those giving birth to infants weighing less than th 90th percentile [120.7 + 8.3 versus 109.6 + 10.5, t = 3.26 P<0.01 and 134.7 +/- 8.3 versus 116 + 12.2, t = 398 P <0.001 respectively]. It has been concluded that maternal hypoglycemia early in pregnancy stimulates B cell activity with an over response to maternal hypoglycemia late in pregnancy resulting in hyperinsulinemia which enhances lipogenesis that produces fetal macrosomia