‘Minor Hemoglobins’: an Alternative Approach for Evaluating Glucose Control in Pregnancy

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Abstract
‘Minor hemoglobins’ (Hb AI) were measured in 178 women during pregnancy and immediately postpartum by a thiobarbituric acid spectrophotometric method. The patients were classified according to an oral glucose tolerance test (GTT) and an assessment of risk factors for diabetes in normal (n = 75), probably normal (n = 72) and chemical diabetics (n = 26). 5 pregnant insulin-dependent diabetics were also studied. Hb AI was unchanged during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and immediately postpartum (< 6 days) in women with normal glucose tolerance. Moreover, no difference of Hb AI level was found when compared with a separate group of nonpregnant individuals (n = 15). Chemical diabetics had significantly higher mean third trimester and postpartum Hb AI than normals (p < 0.001). The highest Hb AI levels during pregnancy were found in the insulin-dependent diabetics, although these were lower compared to a separate group of nonpregnant insulin-dependent diabetics (n = 10; p < 0.05). During pregnancy, a significant correlation was found between Hb AI and the 2-hour value of the GTT (p < 0.001). A positive correlation was also found between third trimester maternal Hb AI and infant birth weight (p < 0.001). Hb AI may complement other parameters in evaluating maternal glucose tolerance during pregnancy.

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