Effect on Fetal Liver Lipids of ¹⁴c Glucose Administered Intravenously to the Mother

Summary Uniformly labelled 14 C glucose was administered intravenously to eight patients in the mid‐trimester of pregnancy who were about to undergo hysterotomy and tubal ligation. After delivery of the fetus the fetal liver was removed and the extent of incorporation of 14 C glucose into hepatic lipids estimated. Significant levels of 14 C were found in all fetal lipid fractions. When these levels were compared with the corresponding levels of 14 C incorporation into the maternal serum lipids there was no correlation. It is concluded that much if not all the newly synthesized lipid in the fetal liver is of fetal origin, and has not been synthesized by the mother and subsequently transferred to the fetus via the placenta.