A new air displacement plethysmograph for the measurement of body composition in infants
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Updated: Sep 27, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Alessandro Urlando1, Philip Dempster, Susan Aitkens
1Life Measurement Incorporated, Concord, CA 94520, USA. aurlando@bodpod.com
Insights
The PEA POD Infant Body Composition System accurately measures infant body composition using air displacement plethysmography. This reliable system offers precise mass and volume assessments for infants aged 0-6 months.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Pediatric Research
- Anthropometry
Background:
- Accurate infant body composition assessment is crucial for monitoring growth and health.
- Existing methods may have limitations in accuracy, ease of use, or infant comfort.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate the PEA POD Infant Body Composition System.
- To determine the accuracy, reliability, and usability of the PEA POD for infant body composition analysis.
Main Methods:
- The PEA POD system, an air displacement plethysmograph, was tested using NIST-traceable weights and volumes.
- Repeated mass and volume measurements were conducted over multiple sessions and days.
- Statistical analyses included regression analysis to assess accuracy and reliability.
Main Results:
- The PEA POD demonstrated highly accurate mass measurements, closely matching traceable weights.
- Volume measurements showed excellent precision with low standard deviations and coefficients of variation.
- High reliability was confirmed through within- and between-day assessments, with minimal percentage error.
Conclusions:
- The PEA POD system provides accurate and reliable infant body composition data.
- Its ease of use and comfort for infants make it a valuable tool for clinical and research settings.
- The PEA POD has the potential to be a significant diagnostic and research instrument for pediatric populations.
Abstract:
ABSTRACT This article introduces and evaluates the PEA POD Infant Body Composition System, an air displacement plethysmograph designed for the assessment of body composition in infants between birth and 6 mo of age. The performance of the PEA POD was evaluated by repeated testing of National Institute of Standards and Technology-traceable weights and volumes. Mass was measured in a single session. Volume was measured in four sessions during a 2-d period (five times/session for both). The mean values for repeated mass measurements were almost identical to the masses of traceable weights. The SD and CV for repeated volume measurements were 1.1-4.5 mL and 0.02-0.09%, respectively. Both the mean SD and CV were within very narrow ranges (1.4-3.1 mL for SD and 0.03-0.08% for CV) across all volume levels. Furthermore, mean CV values using results from the four sessions indicated excellent within- and between-day reliability. Regression analyses (by session or with all sessions combined) of the measured volume against actual volume gave very low standard error of the estimate (SEE) (0.853-1.957 mL) and very high R(2) (1.000), with the intercept and slope not significantly different from 0 and 1, respectively. The mean percentage error in volume measurements was < or =0.05% at all volume levels. The study findings and the operational and physical characteristics of the system indicate that the PEA POD has the potential to provide clinicians and researchers with a diagnostic and research tool that is accurate, easily used by operators, and comfortable for subjects.
