Abstract
Human chorionic somatomammotrophin (HCS) in plasma and oestriol excretion in urine were serially determined in 45 diabetic and 15 normal pregnancies. In the diabetic group there were three perinatal deaths. Mean HCS and oestriol values were not significantly influenced by factors such as maternal age, age at onset of diabetes, duration of diabetes or presence of retinopathy. Group mean HCS and oestriol values were not significantly different between diabetics and controls. Six diabetics had one or more HCS values below 4 μg/ml. Four of them delivered small for date infants with one intra-uterine and one neonatal death. In the former case death was preceded by a pronounced drop in oestriol and in the latter case oestriol values were low and fluctuating. Among Ihe remaining women with low HCS values, three had normal and one had increasing oestriol values within the lower normal range. All women with HCS values above 4 μg/ml had normal oestriol values and normal outcomes with one exception; this woman had low oestriol values and delivered a small for date infant with congenital rubella, who died as a result of hyaline membranes disease. It is concluded that determination of HCS in addition to determination of oestriol in pregnancies at risk could be of practical clinical value.