Borum P R
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611-0370, USA.
J Child Neurol. 1995 Nov;10 Suppl 2:S25-31.
Experimental evidence from several investigators suggests that carnitine is a conditionally essential nutrient for neonates. If carnitine is a conditionally essential nutrient for the neonate, most neonates on total parenteral nutrition in the United States are not receiving adequate nutritional support. The metabolic functions of carnitine are varied and important in several aspects of neonatal physiology. All neonates receiving breast milk receive dietary carnitine and most neonates receiving enteral infant formulas receive dietary carnitine at a level similar to that of the breast-fed neonate. However, most neonates on total parenteral nutrition receive no dietary carnitine. Investigators have been testing the working hypothesis that carnitine is a conditionally essential nutrient for the neonate for many years. This review discusses (1) data supporting the hypothesis, (2) reasons why it has not been either proved or disproved by now, and (3) the author's view of a prudent approach to dietary carnitine supplementation of neonates.
几位研究者的实验证据表明，肉碱是新生儿的一种条件必需营养素。如果肉碱是新生儿的条件必需营养素，那么美国大多数接受全胃肠外营养的新生儿并未获得足够的营养支持。肉碱的代谢功能多样，在新生儿生理学的多个方面都很重要。所有接受母乳的新生儿都能从饮食中获取肉碱，大多数接受肠内婴儿配方奶粉的新生儿所摄入的饮食肉碱水平与母乳喂养的新生儿相似。然而，大多数接受全胃肠外营养的新生儿无法从饮食中获取肉碱。多年来，研究者一直在验证“肉碱是新生儿的条件必需营养素”这一工作假设。本综述讨论了：（1）支持该假设的数据；（2）至今尚未证实或证伪该假设的原因；（3）作者对于谨慎补充新生儿饮食中肉碱的方法的观点。
