Amino acids in the amniotic fluid of diabetic mothers.

Subsequent to the spontaneous rupture of membranes in the 40th week of pregnancy, and in the course of labour inductions in cases of prolonged pregnancy (42nd week) and of diabetic mothers in the 40th week of pregnancy, the concentration of amino acids in the amniotic fluid was studied. In the group of diabetic mothers the concentrations of lysine, histidine, cysteic acid, taurine, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, alanine and phenylalanine are significantly higher. The arteriovenous difference found for some amino acids in the umbilical blood of physiological fetuses is absent in the fetuses of diabetic mothers.