Plasma carnitine in pregnancy.

Plasma levels of total and free carnitine and acylcarnitine were determined in women pregnant for 28 to 42 weeks, and also in some of their fetuses. The finding was that the levels not only of free but also of total carnitine were very low in pregnancy. They were somewhat elevated in women with essential hypertension. Levels of acylcarnitine were significantly decreased in gestational diabetics, presumably because these women were treated with insulin. In nine cases examined, plasma levels of total and free carnitine and acylcarnitine were significantly higher in the fetuses than in their mothers.