TESTS OF CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM IN INFANTS

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Abstract
Although the dextrose tolerance test has been widely used both in pediatrics and in general medicine for the recognition of disturbances in carbohydrate metabolism, difficulties are often encountered in the interpretation of the results obtained. In part, these difficulties appear to arise from a lack of conformity to accepted technics and consequently also to inadequate standards for comparison. In addition, there has been a tendency to view certain characteristics of blood sugar curves as specific for individual diseases without giving adequate consideration to the complexity of the physiologic processes involved. The present study was, therefore, undertaken with a view toward a better standardization and interpretation of the tests used to evaluate the state of carbohydrate metabolism in small infants. METHODS In the present study, the various tests of carbohydrate function commonly used in clinical medicine have been applied to a group of selected normal infants. The tests involved observations on