Maternal glucose injections do not alter the suppression of fetal breathing following maternal ethanol ingestion.

In order to determine whether intravenous injections of glucose could reverse the effects of maternal ingestion of ethanol (0.25 gm/kg), glucose (25 gm intravenously) or an equal volume of saline solution was administered to eight pregnant women at 37 to 40 weeks' gestation after ingestion of ethanol. Fetal breathing movements were abolished within 30 minutes after ingestion of ethanol and were not increased by maternal intravenous injections of glucose. Maternal heart rate was increased by ethanol. The disposition of ethanol in maternal blood was not altered by injection of glucose, and fetal gross body movements were not influenced by maternal ingestion of ethanol or by injections of glucose after ethanol.