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Updated: May 24, 2026
09:36
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Body composition in infants: evidence for developmental programming and techniques for measurement.
1Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford St, London WC1N 1EH, UK. Jonathan.Wells@ucl.ac.uk
Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders
|March 16, 2012
Summary
Fetal growth retardation consequences are unclear, varying globally. Body composition data can clarify infant nutrition
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Nutritional Science
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Consequences of fetal growth retardation (FGR) are not fully understood, with variations observed between industrialized and developing nations.
- The role of infant nutrition is debated, with some proposing survival benefits and others suggesting increased long-term chronic disease risks.
- Nutritional policies face challenges due to the ongoing nutrition transition and its impact on life-course nutritional status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the unclear consequences of fetal growth retardation using body composition data.
- To clarify the controversial role of infant nutrition in relation to early growth patterns and long-term health.
- To present a theoretical model, based on the thrifty phenotype hypothesis, for utilizing body composition data.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing body composition data as a novel approach to study fetal growth retardation.
- Applying a theoretical model derived from the thrifty phenotype hypothesis.
- Leveraging advancements in body composition measurement technologies for infants and children.
Main Results:
- Body composition data offer a new avenue for investigating fetal growth retardation.
- This approach can address the dilemma surrounding post-natal nutrition's effects on health outcomes.
- Existing technologies enable large-scale studies on early growth and later health associations.
Conclusions:
- Body composition measurements provide objective insights into the long-term health consequences of fetal growth retardation.
- Understanding these associations is crucial for developing effective nutritional policies during the nutrition transition.
- Large-scale studies using body composition data can clarify the impact of early growth patterns on adult chronic diseases.
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