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Body composition of preterm infants during infancy
R J Cooke1, D J Rawlings, K McCormick
1Regional Medical Physics Department Freeman Hospital Newcastle upon Tyne.
Insights
Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) accurately measures body composition in preterm infants. Body composition in preterm boys and girls differs, with interpretation depending on age or weight references.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Neonatology
- Body Composition Analysis
Background:
- Preterm infants exhibit unique growth trajectories.
- Accurate assessment of body composition is crucial for monitoring preterm infant health.
- Understanding sex-based differences in body composition is important for tailored care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate body composition in preterm infants using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
- To compare body composition between preterm males and females.
- To investigate how DEXA-derived body composition relates to age and weight references.
Main Methods:
- Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to measure body composition.
- Measurements were taken at hospital discharge, term, 12 weeks, and 6 and 12 months corrected age.
- The study included 125 preterm infants (birthweight ≤ 1750 g, gestational age ≤ 34 weeks).
Main Results:
- DEXA accurately predicted body weight compared to conventional scales.
- Lean mass, fat mass, and bone parameters increased significantly from discharge to term.
- At 12 months, boys had greater lean mass, bone area, and bone mineral mass than girls.
Conclusions:
- DEXA is a reliable method for assessing body mass in preterm infants.
- Significant sex-based differences in body composition emerge in preterm infants.
- Interpreting DEXA results requires consideration of whether age or body weight is the appropriate reference.
Aims:
To examine body composition in preterm infants.
Methods:
Body composition was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at hospital discharge, term, 12 weeks, and at 6 and 12 months corrected age in 125 infants (birthweight < or = 1750 g, gestational age < or = 34 weeks).
Results:
Body weight derived by DEXA accurately predicted that determined by conventional scales. In both sexes lean mass (LM), fat mass (FM), %FM, bone area (BA), bone mineral mass (BMM), and bone mineral density (BMD) increased rapidly during the study; significant changes were detectable between discharge and term. At 12 months, LM, BA, and BMM, but not FM, %FM, or BMD were greater in boys than in girls. Corrected for age, LM was less than those of the reference term infant; FM and %FM were similar; BMM was greater. Corrected for weight, LM was similar to those of the reference infant, while the FM and %FM of study infants were slightly greater.
Conclusions:
DEXA accurately measures body mass. Body composition in preterm boys and girls differs. Interpretation of DEXA values may depend on whether age or body weight are regarded as the appropriate reference.