The effect of oral ritodrine therapy on glucose tolerance in pregnancy

Intravenous ritodrine therapy can cause significant deterioration of maternal glucose homeostasis. We investigated the effect of full maintenance oral ritodrine therapy (120 mg/day) on glucose tolerance in the early third trimester with the use of 50 gm 1-hour screens followed by 100 gm 3-hour oral glucose tolerance tests if the screen level was greater than or equal to 140 mg/dl. Four hundred ninety-one patients were studied, 42 of whom were receiving oral ritodrine therapy. Twenty-one percent of the ritodrine-treated women had an abnormal 1-hour screen, which was not different from the 20% observed in women not receiving therapy. None of the treated group and 13% of the untreated group who had abnormal screens had abnormal oral glucose tolerance tests. The probability of an abnormal test after an abnormal 1-hour screen was also determined.