Pregnant And Advised To Take Glucose Tolerance Test. What Are The Findings From The Test?

Posted on Wed, 11 Sep 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 11 Sep 2013 Answered on

Tue, 1 Oct 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : my wife is 32 week pregnent, my doctor advised me to do GTT Test with 75 grm Glucose , her Blood suger level was 181 where as the reference range should be 140-180 so is it ok or bad for baby and mother, if bad please suggest how so that we can take corrective actions

Answered by Dr. Dr. Prasad J (38 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Please clarify...

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

I presume the sugar values is post 1 hours after receiving glucose. If yes, then values are marginally elevated.

Glucose tolerance test result is interpreted after looking at sugar values at each level - fasting and 1 hour/2 hour/if needed 3 hours after glucose. I will be able to comment further about the results if you can provide me your wife's sugar level at each individual stages. If possible, please upload the results on this query using the site's uploader.

Awaiting your reply...

Regards

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Prasad J (9 minutes later)

please note suger levels at all the stages,

     Result     Refenence Range
Fasting     78     70-95
1     181     70-180
2     125     70-155
3     50     70-140

please sugegst ,

Answered by Dr. Dr. Prasad J (17 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
I am not very concerned...

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Though 1st hour blood sugar is marginally elevated; I am glad the fasting as well as 2 hour sugar is under limits. The marginal elevation of sugar at the first hours is not going to cause serious effects on mother or the fetus. Therefore I am not concerned.

I would suggest her to be selective in her diet - cut the excess sweets / high glycemic index food products and increase fibre XXXXXXX food for additional protection. That should take care of future diabetes.

Hope this helped. Let me know if you need clarifications.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Prasad J (15 minutes later)

Dear Sir,
Thanks for your reply , glad to know this, just have two small queries , suger limit post 3 hours was low from the reference limit hope there will not be any issue in that ,
she has stopped taken all the suger products but want to know what would be the side effefts of high sugar levels to the fetus.
please suggets on these two small points so that i can close this discussion

Answered by Dr. Dr. Prasad J (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
I am not very concerned...

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Sugar values gradually decline with time. A low sugar in an asymptomatic individual is not significant. If your wife had no symptoms of low sugar - sweating, palpitation, drowsiness and so on, the low sugar is of no clinical relevance.
Presuming she was asymptomatic, I do not think we need to worry about low sugar value. It might be the effects of fasting and increased metabolic demands.

Persistently high blood sugar as seen in diabetes can cause large babies with polyhydramnious. This can reduce the chances of normal delivery. Besides these physical changes, diabetes during early pregnancy can cause fetal defects.

Hope this answers your query. Write back if you need clarifications.
If all your queries are addressed, please close this discussion.

Best wishes

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar