The effect of maternal hyperglycemia on gross body movements in human fetuses at 32-34 weeks' gestation.

This study demonstrated that fetal gross body movements were not significantly altered by fluctuations in maternal plasma glucose concentration. Fetuses moved episodically a relatively constant amount of time whether mother received water orally, 50 g of glucose orally or a 25 g bolus of glucose intravenously. In addition, depending on the length of the observational epoch, the incidence of fetal gross body movements differed. As the length of the observational period increased, the chance of finding no fetal gross body movements decreased and at intervals of 24 min duration, fetal gross body movements were absent in only 2% of 24 min periods examined, irrespective of whether they had received water orally, 50 g of glucose orally or 25 g of glucose intravenously. It is concluded that maternal carbohydrate intake was not an important determinant of fetal body movements in healthy fetuses at 32-34 weeks' gestation.