Growth hormone, glucose, and free fatty acid levels in mother and infant in normal, diabetic and toxaemic pregnancies.

Abstract

Only a few investigations concerning growth hormone (HGH) levels in maternal and cord blood in humans have been made. These were limited to normal pregnancies Though the absolute values of HGH cannot be compared in these two investigations since different methods of measuring the HGH were used, both studies found a higher concentration of HGH in the umbilical arterial plasma than in the umbilical venous and maternal plasma, suggesting an active secretion of HGH by the foetal anterior pituitary.