Glucose disappearance in infants of diabetic mothers. I. Relationship to maternal glucose tolerance and insulin production.

Glucose disappearance and insulin response were determined in mother--infant pairs of normal, gestational diabetic and diabetic pregnancies following an intravenous glucose load. Mothers were studied in the third trimester of pregnancy and at least 6 wk postpartum. Significant differences were present in glucose disappearance and insulin response in both gestational diabetic and diabetic mothers during pregnancy compared with the control group. Infants were studied within 4 h of birth while fasting, and glucose and insulin levels followed through the first 3 days of life. Neonatal hypoglycemia did not occur and glucose disappearance (KT) was not different among the three groups. There was no correlation between maternal glucose tolerance or insulin production and that of their infants. The only distinguishing factor among the infants was higher insulin production in infants of diabetic mothers during the 60-min intravenous glucose tolerance test which persisted up to 4 h following the infusion. It is concluded that factors other than the degree of maternal glucose tolerance are responsible for the development of neonatal hypoglycemia in infants of diabetic mothers, most notably control of maternal diabetes, the amount of glucose infused immediately before delivery and neonatal glucose production.