Is Taurine Essential for the Neonates?

Abstract

Serum amino acid concentration measurements in infants with low birth wt fed on human milk or on 2 humanized formulas and in infants on total parenteral nutrition showed that taurine was significantly decreased in the 3 groups on an artificial diet. Infants weighing more than 2000 g on total parenteral nutrition perfused with a solution containing no taurine and little cystine showed a low taurine concentration despite a significant increase of cystine. The hypothesis of Sturman et al, that the human infant cannot synthesize an adequate amount of taurine from cystine and methionine precursors and may be dependent on its diets as a taurine source was favored.