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Update Cory Mermer had some great insights on the jellybean test for
pregnancy that I posted last week. There is an even better, less
invasive test that can be done in most cases. This is called a "2
hour Postprandial Glucose Test", and consists of having a single
blood draw 2 hours following the consumption of a normal meal.
If these results are abnormal, a glucose tolerance test can be
performed to confirm the diagnosis. My wife's conventional OB/GYN
had no problem with ordering this test in lieu of the standard glucose
tolerance test during her last pregnancy, and it can be done at
nearly any laboratory. It is a standard test where the blood is
drawn at 2 hours following a meal. Quoting from Mosby's "Diagnostic
and Laboratory Test Reference" (3rd ed.) "For this study,
a meal acts as a glucose challenge ... is an easily performed screening
test for diabetes..."
The main advantage, in my opinion, of this method of testing is
that the baby is not exposed to such a large surge in blood sugar.
It also more accurately reflects "real-life" blood sugar
fluctuations. After all, what responsible pregnant woman drinks
50 or 100 grams of sugar, on an empty stomach, and then sits around
for hours?
Also, a recently published study entitled "Alternative methods
of diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus" showed that elevated
fasting blood glucose levels are an excellent predictor of gestational
diabetes. Among the 24 women in the study with fasting plasma glucose
concentrations of at least 105 mg/dL, 96% had positive glucose tolerance
test results.
Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;181:1158-61
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