Carnitine

After Ami's birth, the usual heel prick was taken to run all of the  various metabolic tests.  One test came back abnormal - her carnitine levels were slightly low.  Huh?  Apparently, carnitine - present in nearly all cells of the body, is critical for energy production. 

We had her tested a second time - levels still slightly low, so she was put on a carnitine supplement and we made an appointment to see a geneticist at Children's Hospital in D.C. to do further testing to rule out or diagnose a rare Carnitine Uptake Disorder.

It turns out, as it does most often, that the mother (that's me) has low levels of carnitine - and being a nursing mother, my baby is solely dependent upon me for nutrition - thus her own low levels.  Now I'm the one taking the supplement.  The doctor said that frequently the mom doesn't realize her own symptoms and so never really knows until something like having a baby reveals it.  

"Do you frequently feel tired?" she asks me - "um, yeah, I'm tired all the time - but I have three little kids!"

The funny thing about carnitine is that, though I will be taking pharmaceutical grade supplements, it can be bought over the counter at places like GNC and is found in various 'energy" foods.  Carnitine is often promoted as an aid for weight loss, to improve exercise performance, and to enhance a sense of well-being - although it hasn't proven highly successful in any one of these areas.  

I never really gave thought to the importance of that heel prick before - but after seeing the run down of possible metabolic issues, I sure am glad that they do that kind of testing.  And luckily, the issue was a very simple one for us and the baby is perfectly healthy.  And who knows? maybe, just maybe, I'll find out that correcting this deficiency will lend me a little tiny boost of energy - and what mother wouldn't be interested in that?