Trial of intravenous therapy in women with low urinary estriol excretion

Estriol excretion in pregnancy is favourably improved following administration of 25% dextrose to patients with persistently low estriol excretion. A double-blind controlled trial was undertaken in 60 patients to assess the efficacy of other regimens of infusion therapy with Hartmann's solution, aminofusin, 10% dextrose, or ritodrine in Hartmann's solution. Estriol excretion rose above the lower limit of normal in 69% of the patients treated. There was no significant difference in success rates between the four solutions studied when subjected to analyses of variance and covariance. Fetal and placental weights were directly related to estriol excretion. Influences of the various therapeutic regimens on metabolic acidosis have been considered and possible reasons for therapeutic success discussed.