Detection of glucose intolerance in pregnancy

Between 6 and 28 weeks of gestation, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose determinations were performed on 66 pregnant patients who had no history of diabetes. Each patient received two methods of carbohydrate loading on separate occasions in a random, crossover fashion. One group received a 100-g carbohydrate meal and then a 50-g glucose load (Glucola). The order of the test regimens was reversed for the second group. The average 2-hour postprandial glucose value following a meal was 103.1 +/- 3.7 mg/dL, and the mean value for the 2-hour postprandial glucose following Glucola was 102.5 +/- 3.8 mg/dL. The difference in glucose values obtained with the two methods was not statistically significant. A 12% incidence of emesis was encountered after Glucola but none was encountered after the meal. The 100-g carbohydrate meal is recommended as the method of testing for glucose intolerance.