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Body size and early growth in appropriate- and large-for-gestational-age infants

M Sun1, Y Schutz, A Grezzani

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, University of Verona, Polyclinic, Verona, Italy.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|November 25, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Newborn body composition, specifically adiposity, influences early growth. Fatter infants exhibit slower weight gain from birth to five months, indicating early size impacts infant development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Infant Growth and Development
  • Neonatal Body Composition

Background:

  • Understanding factors influencing infant growth is crucial for identifying potential health risks.
  • Birth anthropometrics and metabolic parameters like sleeping energy expenditure (SEE) and respiratory quotient (RQ) may predict later growth trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess weight, length, body composition, SEE, and RQ at birth and 5 months in adequate-for-gestational-age (AGA) and large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infants.
  • To compare changes in body weight and composition, adjusting for covariates.
  • To determine the contribution of initial SEE and RQ to observed growth changes.

Main Methods:

  • Recruited 69 term neonates, with 49 completing follow-up at 5 months.
  • Measured weight, length, and calculated arm-fat and arm-muscle areas via skinfolds.
  • Assessed sleeping energy expenditure (SEE) and respiratory quotient (RQ) using indirect calorimetry.

Main Results:

  • LGA infants had significantly higher weight, length, arm-muscle, and arm-fat areas at birth compared to AGA infants.
  • Initial weight status, SEE, and RQ did not predict relative weight change after adjustments.
  • Higher birth arm-fat area and weight/length ratio were negatively associated with relative body weight changes (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Early infant growth (birth to 5 months) is significantly influenced by birth body size and adiposity.
  • Newborns with higher adiposity demonstrate a slower rate of growth during the first five months of life.
Abstract

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