title: Carnitine deficiency: a possible cause of gastrointestinal dysmotility.
abstract: An infant with delayed development and peripheral myopathy, nourished on a soy-based liquid diet deficient in carnitine, had gastrointestinal dysmotility manifested by postprandial vomiting, oral drooling, delayed gastric emptying and infrequent bowel movements. Oesophageal manometry showed a reduced lower oesophageal sphincter pressure for age with abnormal distal motility. Serum carnitine concentration was 9.9 mumol l-1. After dietary supplementation of carnitine the gastrointestinal symptoms resolved, oesophageal manometry returned to normal, and serum carnitine increased to 37.2 mumol l-1. Dietary carnitine deficiency in infancy may be a cause of smooth muscle dysmotility of the gastrointestinal tract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gladstone
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Winter
mesh_terms: D001903:Bottle Feeding; D002331:Carnitine / Q000172:deficiency*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology; D005527:Food, Fortified; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000503:physiopathology; D012798:Sialorrhea / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine