Urinary constituents of infants of diabetic and nondiabetic mothers: I. 17-hydroxycorticosteroid excretion in premature infants

Abstract

Urinary total chloroform-extractable 17-hydroxycorticosteroids were measured serially during the first week of life in 41 premature infants. Well premature infants of nondiabetic and diabetic mothers had lower excretion values of urinary 17-hydroxycorticoids than normal full-term infants. These two groups of premature infants responded differently to the respiratory distress syndrome; infants of diabetic mothers had a significant increase in urinary 17-OHCS, whereas infants of nondiabetic mothers did not. Several possible explanations for these observations are discussed.