Blood levels of total carnitine and lipid utilization with and without carnitine supplementation in newborn infants.

Postnatal changes of the plasma carnitine level were compared in orally and parenterally fed newborn infants. As expected, in contrast to the increasing plasma level of carnitine in infants fed with human milk, a gradual and significant fall was observed during parenteral feeding. Next, the effect of carnitine supplementation on the elimination rate of an Intralipid load was tested. The increased disappearance rate of triglycerides associated with the exogenously administered carnitine suggested an increased lipid utilization during the carnitine supplemented period of parenteral nutrition.