L-glutamine Risks For Infants & Toddlers

L-glutamine, the most plentiful amino acid in your body, is vital for digestive and immune system health. The fact that it is both produced by your body and readily obtained from many foods causes it to be classified as a nonessential amino acid. However, injury and illness can deplete levels of L-glutamine, causing many nutritionists to consider it conditionally semi-essential. Doctors sometimes prescribe supplementary L-glutamine to help premature infants gain weight. It also may be used to treat certain gastrointestinal problems in toddlers. Don't give L-glutamine to an infant or toddler unless directed to do so by a physician.

L-Glutamine Features

L-glutamine, also called glutamine, is the primary fuel source for the cells that line the stomach and intestines. It is also the major energy supply for lymphocytes and macrophages, white blood cells that defend against infection. In addition, glutamine detoxifies the body by removing excess ammonia and plays a role in manufacturing glutathione, a powerful natural antioxidant. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center credits glutamine with enhancing protein synthesis, improving nitrogen balance and preserving the intestinal integrity of patients with serious illnesses. University of Maryland Medical Center reports that adding glutamine to the tube feedings of critically ill patients can reduce death rates, and adds that it may help people with HIV and AIDS to gain weight. Glutamine occurs naturally in protein-rich foods, including poultry, red meat and dairy products. Good vegetarian sources of glutamine include peanuts, corn and wheat.

Uses for Infants and Toddlers

L-glutamine may be given intravenously to promote weight gain in premature infants. It is also used to help intestinal adaptation and to treat deficiencies resulting from short bowel syndrome, a digestive condition that causes malabsorption of nutrients. Short bowel syndrome may occur after bowel resectioning surgery; it can also be congenital or occur as a result of trauma or disease. The School of Medicine at the University of Virginia recommends supplementation with glutamine to help counteract the loss of electrolytes and fat-soluble vitamins that can impair growth in toddlers with short bowel syndrome. Drugs.com, which provides peer-reviewed medical information to consumers, reports that glutamine dosages of 273 milligrams per pound of body weight per day have been administered to children in clinical studies.

Research

In a small clinical study published in 1996 in "Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition," high-risk premature infants who were given parenteral nutrition supplemented with glutamine needed less time on the ventilator and required shorter lengths of stays in the intensive care unit than those who did not receive the amino acid. Researchers concluded that the treatment appeared to be safe, but called for larger multicenter studies to confirm these results. In a review published in 2003 in "Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition," the author credits glutamine with creating better feeding tolerance and reducing hospital-acquired sepsis in newborns.

Precautions and Risks

Powdered glutamine should be taken with food unless directed otherwise; UMMC notes that it can be mixed with warm or cold liquids, applesauce or pudding. Rare but life-threatening allergic reactions are possible with glutamine; Drugs.com advises calling 911 if your child experiences hives, difficulty breathing or swelling of the lips, face or tongue. Possible side effects of glutamine include chest pain, increased sweating, mouth sores, nausea, dry mouth, runny nose and skin rash. However, UMMC reports that side effects are uncommon; very high doses may make them more likely. Glutamine can interact with prescription medications and should not be given to children with Reyes syndrome, a rare childhood disease associated with aspirin use. According to Drugs.com, your child's kidney and liver function should be monitored regularly while he is taking glutamine. Consult a physician before giving glutamine to an infant or toddler.