Sequential Intravenous Glucose Tolerance: Responses of Newborn and Adult

Abstract
Acute sequential intravenous glucose tolerance tests were performed at an interval of 120 min in 12 normal fasting adults, 5 normal infants, and 6 infants of gestationally diabetic mothers. Glucose disposal (Kt) and plasma insulin elevations were remarkably similar in the paired adult studies. In contrast, the studies in all infants were highly variable although they had similar initial plasma insulin levels (< 10 μU/ml). The rates of glucose disposal in the infants (1.43 and 1.47%/min) were slightly slower than the adult rates (1.66%/min). The plasma insulin responses, in contrast, were higher and more sustained throughout the second half of the test in the infants as a group. There was remarkable heterogeneity in the responses of the infants which obscured any differences between the groups.