During pregnancy, expectant mothers take many urine tests. One of these laboratory tests is the determination of ketone bodies. This study is very important and helps to identify dangerous pathologies at the earliest stages of their formation.
What does this mean?
Normally, acetone should not be present in the urine. A pathological condition in which ketones in the urine are elevated is called ketonuria. Its appearance in pregnant women is a rather unfavorable symptom. When this clinical sign appears, it is very important to immediately contact a therapist. In the body of a healthy woman, ketone bodies are always formed, but they are secreted with sweat. The appearance of traces of ketone bodies in urine is a manifestation of pathology. To correct these disorders, a mandatory prescription of therapy is required.
The appearance of ketonuria in the urine in early pregnancy is quite common with toxicosis. Also, this condition may be a consequence of the threat of gestational diabetes mellitus. This pathology manifests itself in pregnant women and requires mandatory monitoring of its development.
Usually, these conditions are accompanied by an increase in blood ketone bodies up to 3-15 mg / dL. In some cases, urinary ketones may be even higher. This situation can occur with various pathologies of the blood vessels feeding the baby.
Osteoporosis and an acute lack of calcium in the fetus are also manifested by the development of ketonuria. This pathological condition is usually found in the first half of pregnancy. With the normalization of the diet, this violation can be corrected. The appearance in the urine of a high content of ketones in the early stages of pregnancy leads to the fact that the expectant mother has a reduced insulin sensitivity... This leads to the fact that blood glucose ceases to be utilized by the cells of internal organs.
Ketonuria that occurs in a pregnant woman in late pregnancy may be the result of various respiratory disorders that form in the fetus. The development of many pathologies due to this condition is largely due to the altered pH of the blood and urine due to the increased content of ketone bodies. Quite often, in late pregnancy, ketonuria manifests itself episodically. In most cases, this condition is transitory.
If this condition persists in the later stages, then in this case, even hospitalization of the expectant mother in a hospital may be required. There is intensive therapy with the introduction of infusion drugs.
Before prescribing treatment, it is necessary to carry out complex diagnostics... Doctors determine what reason contributed to the development of this condition in the expectant mother. If the cause of the pathology is hyperglycemia and gestational diabetes mellitus, then in this case, hypoglycemic drugs are prescribed to correct the disorders.
Reasons for the appearance
The metabolism of carbohydrates in the body is extremely important, since they are necessary for the nutrition of all internal organs and muscle tissue. If the synthesis of sugar in the body is disturbed, then this leads to the fact that the carbohydrate balance is disturbed. If the normal glucose concentration is not restored, then the amount of ketones will increase. The following reasons can lead to the development of such a situation:
- Untimely food. Frequent skipping meals contribute to metabolic disorders, including a pathological decrease in blood glucose.
- Insufficient intake of carbohydrates from food. Any hypocarbohydrate diet can provoke a violation of carbohydrate metabolism. It is important to note that the calorie content of the diet of the expectant mother should exceed the calorie content of the diet of an ordinary woman by 20-25%.
- Excessive physical activity. During pregnancy, normal household activities can also lead to a decrease in blood glucose. After a general cleaning of the apartment, a pregnant woman may have traces of ketones in her urine.
- Diabetes mellitus of uncontrolled course. Severe forms of this disease are accompanied by a violation of metabolic carbohydrate processes. The insulin-dependent variant of diabetes mellitus is especially dangerous. Hypoglycemic coma is a critical condition, manifested by the appearance of a specific symptom - the smell of acetone from the mouth.
- Severe gestosis. Frequent bouts of nausea and vomiting provoke the development of a decrease in blood glucose. If the course of gestosis is protracted, then this can lead to persistent ketonuria.
- Infections caused by bacteria or viruses. A severe course of infectious diseases, accompanied by high fever, can lead to the development of disorders of carbohydrate metabolism.
- Prolonged psychoemotional stress. Excessive suspiciousness or worry over trifles leads to the fact that the body of the expectant mother begins to malfunction. Permanent depression, in which the pregnant woman stays for a long time, also leads to the development of metabolic disorders.
- Increased thyroid function. Hyperthyroidism is a fairly common pathology that occurs during pregnancy. This condition is characterized not only by an increase in thyroid hormones in the blood, but also by a violation of general metabolic processes. Quite often, this situation is transient and normalizes after childbirth.
- Violation of metabolic processes. This situation occurs in many pathologies. In this case, not only disorders of carbohydrate metabolism are formed, but also fat metabolism.
And now we recommend watching a video in which Dr. Komarovsky will talk about where acetone in urine comes from.
Symptoms
The mild course of ketonuria, when only traces of ketone bodies appeared in the urine, practically does not appear in any way. If the course of the pathology develops, then the expectant mother begins to feel rather unfavorable symptoms. The degree of their severity can be different. Reviews of moms who had ketone bodies in their urine during pregnancy indicate that quite often they felt nauseous. This symptom bothered them for several months.
Also a fairly common symptom of ketonuria is excessive sweating. Sweat can have a rather unpleasant sour smell. Excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis manifests itself not only during physical exertion, but also in a state of complete rest. In this condition, expectant mothers get tired faster and may experience unmotivated headache attacks. Some moms get dizzy. The more disturbed carbohydrate metabolism in the body of a pregnant woman, the more clearly these symptoms appear.
Strong thirst often develops against the background of pronounced ketonuria. This leads to the fact that the pregnant woman begins to drink more water. Ultimately, this contributes to the appearance of severe edema in her.
Diagnostics
It will not be possible to determine ketonuria based on clinical symptoms alone. Diagnostics requires mandatory urine tests. Screening for this condition is carried out using special test strips that can be bought at any pharmacy. Their principle of operation is quite simple. A special diagnostic layer is applied to the paper strip, which detects ketones in the urine.
A special table is used to evaluate the result. For ease of use, different concentrations of ketone bodies are identified using different colors. A future mother can do such a study at home on her own.
If the concentration of ketones obtained is significantly higher than the norm, in the future it is necessary to retake the analysis in the laboratory.
Currently, there are also multifunctional test strips. In addition to ketones, they can detect the main indicators of urine - leukocytes, protein, red blood cells, pH and many others. These tests are very convenient for home use. They allow expectant mothers to significantly save the family budget and go to the laboratory for tests only when necessary. The laboratory test should be taken in the morning. The amount of ketones in the evening urine sample can be changed. Some doctors recommend covering the opening of the vagina with a cotton pad before urinating. In this case, the test results will be more reliable.
Collect urine in a special plastic container. It can be purchased at the pharmacy. Also, such containers are issued before the delivery of urine in any private laboratory.
Many moms collect urine in baby puree glass jars. It should be noted right away that quite often the use of such containers can lead to unreliable results. The container that collects urine must be dry and clean. Glass jars can be used, but they must be washed thoroughly and then dried naturally.
In some cases a small trace concentration of ketone bodies in the urinary sediment is allowed. Their excess in urine in excess of 15-60 mg / dl is already considered a pathological condition and requires mandatory correction. If, against the background of an increased content of ketone bodies in the urine, the expectant mother does not feel any uncomfortable symptoms, then in this case a mandatory rechecking of the tests is required. They are usually held in 7-14 days. Repeated ketonuria is already a manifestation of pathology. In this case, mandatory blood glucose monitoring is also required.
How to lower ketone bodies?
You can get rid of the excess amount of ketone bodies in the urine by following all the recommendations of doctors. An important one is compliance with the normal daily routine. Adequate sleep for at least 8 hours a day is a mandatory measure of therapy that helps to significantly improve the well-being of the expectant mother. The nutrition of a pregnant woman is very important for correcting the disorders that have arisen. For the prevention of hypocarbohydrate conditions, mandatory inclusion in the daily diet is required enough carbohydrates. At the same time, the emphasis in nutrition is made on "slow" carbohydrates: all cereals and cereals belong to such products.
For a great mood and getting vitamins for expectant mothers be sure to eat fruit... These are the main sources of fast carbohydrates. They are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, normalizing the sugar concentration. Instead of sweets, expectant mothers should eat dried fruits and berries. Chocolate and industrially prepared sweets should be limited. For the normalization of metabolic processes in the body of the expectant mother, it is very important that she ate enough protein. For this in the daily diet any poultry, fish, beef and turkey should be included. Fermented milk products are also great additions to your daily diet.
To improve metabolism in the body of a pregnant woman, it is very important to follow a drinking regimen. To do this, the expectant mother should drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day. Individual drinking regimen is prescribed only for pregnant women who have a tendency to develop edema. In this case, doctors can limit water intake to one liter.
