Postnatal glucose kinetics in newborns of tightly controlled insulin-dependent diabetic mothers

Infants of diabetic mothers are at risk of developing hypoglycemia postnatally. Strict control of blood glucose during pregnancy might result in adequate glucose homeostasis in the neonate. We followed 15 mother-infant pairs from the beginning of pregnancy until birth. Glucose kinetics in the infants were measured on the first day of life, using a stable isotope dilution technique. Furthermore, levels of alternative substrates, FFA, and ketone bodies were measured. All infants received i.v. glucose from birth onward at a rate of 3.4 +/- 0.7 mg/kg/min (mean +/- SD). There was no relationship between the parameters of control of the insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in the mothers and glucose kinetics in their infants. Glucose turnover was 5.2 +/- 1.1 mg/kg/min, glucose production rate (GPR) was 1.8 +/- 1.1 mg/kg/min. GPR was significantly lower in the infants studied at the end of the first day of life (p < 0.01), irrespective of the glucose infusion rate. Furthermore, the lower GPR was associated with an increased concentration of ketone bodies, suggesting an increased production of ketone bodies in these infants. The relatively high GPR measured in the infants who were studied in the first hours postnatally may be the result of postnatal hormonal stimulation of glycogenolysis and/or gluconeogenesis. From this study, we conclude that glucose kinetics in infants of tightly controlled diabetic mothers appear to be normal. Interestingly, despite the near-optimal insulin therapy in the mothers, there is a relationship between the SD scores of birth weight and the mean 3rd-trimester blood glucose values.