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Studies on human body composition during the first 4 months of life using magnetic resonance imaging and isotope

Elisabeth Olhager1, Eva Flinke, Ulf Hannerstad

  • 1Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Linköping, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.

Pediatric Research
|August 22, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Infant body composition changes with age, showing significant increases in adipose tissue volume, particularly subcutaneous fat. These findings update reference data for healthy boys and girls during early development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Human Physiology
  • Body Composition Analysis

Background:

  • Accurate infant body composition data is crucial for establishing reference standards.
  • Existing reference data requires updates using advanced methodologies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To update and extend reference data for infant body composition.
  • To utilize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for precise adipose tissue assessment.

Main Methods:

  • MRI scans were performed on 46 healthy, full-term infants (4-131 days old).
  • Adipose tissue volume (ATV), subcutaneous (s.c.) and non-s.c. AT were estimated.
  • Total body water was measured using isotope dilution to calculate total body fat (TBF) and fat-free weight (FFW).

Main Results:

  • Infant weight, TBF, and FFW increased with age, aligning with current references.
  • Boys exhibited a slightly faster increase in % TBF compared to reference data.
  • Significant age-related increases in both s.c. and non-s.c. ATV were observed in both sexes.
  • Subcutaneous ATV constituted approximately 90.5-91.1% of total ATV.

Conclusions:

  • Early life is characterized by substantial increases in total adipose tissue, predominantly subcutaneous.
  • The study provides updated body composition data for the reference infant.
  • Findings largely agree with existing reference data, with a noted exception in % TBF for boys.

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