What is the cause of ketone bodies in pregnant women's urine?

Pregnant women need to pay special attention to their diet during pregnancy, exercise appropriately, and maintain an optimistic attitude, which is best for the development of the fetus. Pregnant women also need to do the experience every month, which can better observe the development of the fetus. When you check and find ketone bodies in the pregnant woman's urine, it may be due to incomplete digestion of fat caused by insufficient energy.

Due to the physiological characteristics of pregnancy, patients with gestational diabetes or diabetes combined with pregnancy have a tendency to accelerate glucose transport by the placenta, especially in the last three months of pregnancy.

Insufficient energy will lead to accelerated fat decomposition and excessive production of ketone bodies, which will accumulate in the body or enter the placenta and be used by the fetus. The utilization of ketone bodies will affect the development of the fetal nervous system. Excess ketone bodies in the mother's body can be partially excreted through urine, which can be manifested as ketone bodies being detected in the urine. Accumulation in the blood is called ketosis, and may even cause ketoacidosis, which can affect the life safety of mother and baby. Urinary ketone bodies also often occur in pregnant women who have hypoglycemia due to excessive insulin injection, those who delay meals, or those who have not eaten normally for several days due to severe vomiting during pregnancy.

Once ketone bodies appear, you should immediately replenish sufficient energy, reduce fat intake, and increase the intake of complex carbohydrates (such as staple foods and potatoes). You can even consume a small amount of fruit juice, chocolate, refined sugar, etc. to replace the function of fat. Drinking plenty of water can also help excrete ketone bodies in urine. Patients with GDM or diabetes complicated with pregnancy should be careful not to control heat energy too low. Eat small meals frequently, 5 to 6 times a day. Heat energy should be given at 30~35 kcal/kg body weight, protein at 1.5~2.0/kg body weight, carbohydrates should account for 55%~60% of total heat energy, and fat energy supply should be limited to less than 25% of total heat energy.

In addition, ketoacidosis that occurs during pregnancy should be differentiated from starvation ketosis. The latter does not cause high blood sugar and sugar should be supplemented immediately. The former should be given small doses of insulin and intravenous glucose supplementation to lower the level of ketone bodies in the blood.