Shortland G J, Walter J H, Stroud C, Fleming P J, Speidel B D, Marlow N
Department of Child Health, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff.
Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 1998 May;78(3):F185-8. doi: 10.1136/fn.78.3.f185.
To evaluate the effect of L-carnitine supplementation (25 mg/kg/d) on the growth and incidence of hypoglycaemia in preterm infants.
A double blind, placebo controlled randomised trial, stratified for gestational age, was conducted of 86 preterm infants between 28 and 34 gestational weeks. The median gestational ages in the carnitine group and placebo groups were 30.7 weeks (range 28.0 to 33.6) and 31.4 weeks (range 28.0 to 33.9), respectively. The median birthweights were 1.557 kg (range 0.944 to 2.275) and 1.645 kg (range 0.885 to 2.545), respectively.
Mean plasma free carnitine concentrations were below values for normal term infants in both groups on day 1 (carnitine group 44.8 mumol/l, placebo group 25.5 mumol/l) in the placebo group on day 7 (50.7 mumol/l), but in neither group on days 14 and 28. Total, free, and acylcarnitine concentrations were significantly increased in both urine and blood in the L-carnitine group. There was no significant difference between the placebo and carnitine supplemented groups in growth rate, as assessed by weight, length, skinfold thickness and head circumference measurements, or in the incidence of episodes of hypoglycaemia.
The addition of carnitine as a nutritional supplement at a dose of 25 mg/kg/day did not improve growth in our group of preterm infants nor protect them from episodes of hypoglycaemia.
评估补充左旋肉碱（25毫克/千克/天）对早产儿生长及低血糖发生率的影响。
对86例孕28至34周的早产儿进行了一项双盲、安慰剂对照的随机试验，并按胎龄分层。左旋肉碱组和安慰剂组的中位胎龄分别为30.7周（范围28.0至33.6）和31.4周（范围28.0至33.9）。中位出生体重分别为1.557千克（范围0.944至2.275）和1.645千克（范围0.885至2.545）。
两组第1天的平均血浆游离肉碱浓度均低于足月儿（左旋肉碱组44.8微摩尔/升，安慰剂组25.5微摩尔/升），安慰剂组第7天为50.7微摩尔/升，但两组在第14天和第28天均未出现此情况。左旋肉碱组尿液和血液中的总肉碱、游离肉碱和酰基肉碱浓度均显著升高。根据体重、身长、皮褶厚度和头围测量评估，安慰剂组和补充左旋肉碱组的生长速率以及低血糖发作发生率均无显著差异。
以25毫克/千克/天的剂量补充肉碱作为营养补充剂，并未改善我们这组早产儿的生长情况，也未保护他们免受低血糖发作的影响。
