In 25 normally non-pregnant women, 543 normally pregnant women and 75 pregnant women with diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes mellitus, the relationship between the serum concentration of 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (1-deoxy-glucose) and carbohydrate metabolism was studied. The concentration of 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol was estimated by means of gas-liquid chromatography. In normally non-pregnant women the concentration was found to be 18.6 +/- 5.2 mg/l (mean +/- SD). During the normal pregnancy, from 9 weeks of gestation, a steadily decreasing concentration was observed as the pregnancy progressed and the lowest value (10.2 +/- 4.6 mg/l) was found in the third trimester. After 5 days of puerperium the concentrations were found to be 10.8 +/- 3.7 mg/l. On the 30th day postpartum, the level was within the range for non-pregnant subjects. The values in pregnant women with diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes mellitus were mostly below 10 mg/l throughout the entire pregnant period. The 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol concentration was not affected by meals or oral glucose loading. A concentration below 10 mg/l was found in 36% of the normally pregnant women, where oral glucose tolerance tests and measurement of glycohemoglobin were shown to be within the normal range. The present study suggests that a change of 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol level during pregnancy may reflect a mild alteration of carbohydrate metabolism that goes undetected by all the other diabetic indicators.

A fetus at 20 weeks' gestation was shown by ultrasonography to have ascites and intrahepatic calcifications. We aspirated the fetal ascites at 29 and 30 weeks' gestation to decompress the fetal lungs due to the progression of the ascites and the concomitant compression in the fetal lungs. The newborn had neither hypoplasia of the lungs nor any respiratory complication, though congenital cytomegalovirus infection was present. This is the first report of such congenital cytomegalovirus infection associated with fetal ascites and intrahepatic calcifications. Careful monitoring and early intervention is necessary for a good prognosis.

Prenatal diagnosis of an acardiac twin pregnancy was performed. At 30 gestational weeks, pulsed color Doppler ultrasound revealed polyhydramnios, reversed-pulsatile blood flow in the umbilical artery and vein of the acardiac twin, and artery-artery anastomosis on the placental surface. The total cardiac dimension, maximum blood flow velocity of the ascending aorta and the pulmonary artery in the alive twin were in the normal range.

Estimation of amniotic fluid volume is an important part of routine obstetric sonography. A relationship between polyhydramnios and poor perinatal outcome has been reported. This study correlates the severity of polyhydramnios .with perinatal morbidity and mortality. Among 67 cases of polyhydramnios detected in singleton pregnancies, 8 were associated with maternal conditions including noninsulin-dependent diabetes (5 cases), insulin-dependent diabetes (1 case) and gestational diabetes (2 cases). Forty-four were associated with fetal conditions, including fetal anomalies (31 cases), fetal chromosomal disorders (10 cases) and fetal functional disorders (3 cases). Fifteen of the 67 cases had no apparent underlying fetal or maternal cause. Perinatal death occurred in 19 cases (28%) and was associated with fetal anomalies (12 cases), chromosome disorders (6 cases) and a functional fetal abnormality (1 case). Severe polyhydramnios with amniotic pocket dimensions ? 120 mm (91%) or with a need for amniocentesis (91%) were associated with fetal abnormalities in most cases. The rate of perinatal death was not increased, indicating that severe polyhydramnios does not always result in lethal abnormalities.

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