Related Experiment Videos
Body composition of newborn twins: intrapair differences
Belinda Koo1, Jocelyn Walters, Elaine Hockman
1Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, USA.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition
|June 21, 2002
Summary
Newborn twin body weight differences correlate with, but are not proportional to, differences in body composition. Gestational age impacts body weight, bone mineral content, lean mass, and fat mass in twins.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal research
- Pediatric body composition analysis
- Twin studies
Background:
- Understanding body composition in newborns is crucial for assessing health and development.
- Twin studies offer a unique model to investigate genetic and environmental influences on growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify body composition in newborn twins.
- To determine if body weight discrepancies between twins are proportionally reflected in their body composition components.
Main Methods:
- Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure bone mineral content (BMC), lean mass (LM), and fat mass (FM) in 48 pairs of newborn twins.
- Statistical analyses included regression and analysis of variance.
Main Results:
- Body weight, BMC, LM, and FM all increased with gestational age (p < 0.001).
- The percentage difference in body weight between twins significantly correlated with percentage differences in BMC, LM, and FM (p < 0.001).
- However, the mean percentage difference in body weight (14.3%) was significantly lower than fat mass (26.0%) but not significantly different from lean mass (13.4%) or BMC (15.9%).
Conclusions:
- In newborn twins, body weight and composition are influenced by gestational age.
- While body weight differences in twins correlate with differences in BMC, LM, and FM, these relationships are not proportional.