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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

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Prematurity is not associated with intra-abdominal adiposity in 5- to 7-year-old children

Verena Huke1, Silvia Rudloff, Markus Brugger

  • 1Department of Neuropediatrics, Pediatric Center, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|August 6, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Children born preterm at 5-7 years old did not show higher body fat or intra-abdominal fat compared to those born at term. This study investigated body composition in early childhood.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neonatology
  • Body Composition Analysis

Background:

  • Preterm birth is associated with altered growth and development.
  • Early childhood body composition may influence long-term health outcomes.
  • Understanding fat partitioning in preterm-born children is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare body composition and abdominal fat partitioning in preterm-born versus term-born children aged 5-7 years.
  • To test the hypothesis that preterm birth leads to increased body fat percentage and intra-abdominal adipose tissue.
  • To identify potential long-term metabolic consequences of preterm birth.

Main Methods:

  • Included 236 children (116 preterm, 120 term) aged 5-7 years.
  • Measured body composition via bioelectrical impedance analysis.
  • Assessed intra-abdominal adipose tissue percentage (%IAAT) using magnetic resonance imaging.
  • Analyzed body mass index, skin fold thickness, waist-to-hip ratio, and dietary records.

Main Results:

  • Preterm-born children were shorter, lighter, and had a lower body mass index than term-born children.
  • No significant differences were found in %IAAT or total body fat mass between the groups.
  • Despite lower BMI, preterm children had a higher energy uptake per kilogram per day.

Conclusions:

  • At 5-7 years of age, preterm-born children do not exhibit increased overall fat mass.
  • Intra-abdominal adiposity is not higher in children born preterm compared to term-born peers.
  • These findings suggest that early catch-up growth does not necessarily lead to adverse fat distribution in this age group.
Abstract

Keywords:
%IAATBIABMIBioelectrical impedance analysisBody mass indexIAATIntra-abdominal adipose tissueMRIMagnetic resonance imagingPercentage of intra-abdominal adipose tissueSGASmall for gestational ageTAATTotal abdominal adipose tissue

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