Abstract
Changes in the carbohydrate tolerance of 26 pregnant diabetics had been investigated.
Of the 26 diabetics, 16 cases showed improved carbohydrate tolerance or decreasing insulin requirement throughout pregnancy. Most of those cases were class C, D and F patients according to the White classification. Their serum insulin levels were low even during pregnancy and their urinary estriol excretion was within the distribution of the controls.
Another 10 cases showed decreasing or unchanged carbohydrate tolerance or increasing insulin requirement during pregnancy. All of them were class A and B patients. Their serum insulin levels during pregnancy were significantly higher than the former and their estriol excretion was higher than in the former and the controls during the third trimester.
Estriol seemed to have an insulin antagonistic effect directly or indirectly.
Changes in the carbohydrate tolerance of pregnant diabetics was suggested to be due to the levels of insulin antagonists and not to the serum insulin level.
