Abstract
Maternal blood glucose and fetal blood glucose and insulin levels were studied in 16 women at full-term labor after administration of terbutalin 250 μg i.v. The maternal blood glucose level was registered by a continuous blood glucose monitoring unit. In all patients studied, the terbutaline injection was followed by a rise in maternal blood glucose within 15 min, lasting for at least one hour. The fetal glucose levels paralleled those of the mothers, but on a lower level. None of the infants demonstrated hypoglycemia during the first 90 min after birth. We conclude that terbutaline administrated in this way has a direct effect on the maternal blood glucose release, and report that no harmful effects on fetal carbohydrate metabolism could be demonstrated.