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Longitudinal effects of fat and lean mass on bone accrual in infants

Ramu G Sudhagoni1, Howard E Wey, Gemechis D Djira

  • 1Ethel Austin Martin Program in Human Nutrition, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA.

Bone
|December 14, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Infant lean and fat mass positively impact bone accrual, contrary to prior hypotheses. This study reveals that increased body composition, including fat mass, supports bone mineral content development in infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric bone health
  • Infant body composition
  • Growth and development

Background:

  • Conflicting reports exist on lean and fat mass effects on childhood bone accrual.
  • Limited research addresses infant body composition changes and bone accrual in the first year.
  • Understanding early life influences on bone mineral content (BMC) is crucial for long-term skeletal health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of lean and fat mass changes on bone mineral content (BMC) accrual in infants.
  • To test the hypothesis that greater lean mass gains positively affect BMC accrual, while greater fat mass gains negatively affect BMC accrual.
  • To analyze longitudinal and cross-sectional associations between body composition and BMC in the first year of life.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized longitudinal data from three previous infant studies.
  • Employed linear mixed models to analyze associations.
  • Adjusted for key covariates including age, sex, dietary calcium, and length.

Main Results:

  • Both lean mass and fat mass were positively associated with whole body BMC accrual in infants (P<0.001).
  • Contrary to the hypothesis, fat mass demonstrated a positive cross-sectional and longitudinal association with BMC.
  • No significant differences in BMC change were observed between sexes across the studies.

Conclusions:

  • Infant lean mass is positively associated with bone mineral content accrual.
  • Infant fat mass is also positively associated with bone mineral content accrual, challenging previous hypotheses.
  • Early life body composition, encompassing both lean and fat mass, plays a significant role in infant bone development.

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