Abstract
Rats demonstrate a marked suckling ketosis (total ketones-2.5 mM). We have found evidence suggesting that the capacity for ketogenesis is deficient in fasted human newborns. Therefore, it was of interest to see whether human infants also show an improvement in ketogenic capacity and become ketotic with feeding. The levels of free fatty acids (FFA), b-OH-butyrate (BOB), and acetoacetate (AcAc) In 24 term AGA newborns fasted for the first 8 hrs after birth were compared with levels seen in 14 infants examined at 18 hr of age, 4 hr after a first feed, and 11 infants studied at 36 hr of age, 4 hr after their 4th-6th feed.
The small but significant elevation of ketones in the fed infants suggests an increase in ketogenic capacity. However, the magnitude of the increase in the human newborn is markedly lower than that seen in the suckling rat, and suggests that the rat model may not be applicable to the human.
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Anday, E., Stanley, C., Baker, L. et al. THE FED HUMAN NEONATE-A SUCKLING KETOSIS?. Pediatr Res 11, 510 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00841
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00841
