No abstract

No abstract

Summary 10 women in labor received a drip infusion of 500 ml of 10% glucose with 16 units of crystalline insulin and further 10 received glucose infusion without insulin, about 30 min. before giving birth. In the newborn infants of these mothers was a continuous fall in the high initial blood glucose values in capillary blood, with significant decrease in ballast excess lactate, without increase in oxygen consumption. It would appear that prenatal infusion of glucose with insulin decreased partially anaerobic metabolism, without increasing the oxidative component. Such an effect might lower the tendency of the newborn to go into metabolic acidosis after birth, and assist the establishment of normal respiration.