The effect of 75-g oral glucose tolerance test on maternal and foetal Doppler parameters in healthy pregnancies: a cross-sectional observational study

Abstract

Hyperglycaemia can alter placental resistance to blood flow and hyperglycaemia has adverse perinatal outcomes. Oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) increases the maternal plasma glucose levels temporarily and mimics metabolic hyperglycaemia. The blood flow of the uterine artery (UtA), umbilical artery (UA), middle cerebral artery (MCA) were assessed before, 1 and 2 h following the OGTT by using Doppler ultrasonography. Z-score of cerebroplacental ratio (CPR), pulsatility index (PI) for three vessels were evaluated separately. All measurements of the MCA, UA, UtA Doppler parameters were not statistically different for fasting, and 1 and 2 h following the 75 g OGTT in the 53 pregnant women with a singleton gestation in the low-risk group. This study results show that acute hyperglycaemia induced by OGTT has no effect on maternal and foetal Doppler parameters in healthy pregnancies.

IMPACT STATEMENT

• What is already known on this subject? Foetal glucose is affected by maternal blood glucose concentrations and placental blood flow. Acute hyperglycaemia may have an effect on maternal, and foetal Doppler parameters among healthy pregnancies

• What do the results of this study add? Our findings indicate that blood flow velocity metric measurements in the UA, MCA and UtA were not affected by the OGTT in healthy pregnant women.

• What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Acute hyperglycaemia induced by OGTT does not have any effect on fetomaternal circulation, especially foetal brain blood flow. Other foetal vessels including ductus venosus, renal artery, etc. may be affected by maternal blood glucose levels during the OGTT or in diabetic patients. Future prospective studies consisting of diabetic patients are warranted to verify the exact effect of glucose levels on foetal and maternal circulation.

Keywords:

• Doppler ultrasonography
• middle cerebral artery
• oral glucose challenge test
• umbilical artery
• uterine artery

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).