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Body composition assessment in the infant

Ellen W Demerath1, David A Fields

  • 1Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55454.

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council
|January 16, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Accurate infant body composition measurement is crucial for understanding health development. This review details methods like DXA and MRI for infants aged 0-2 years, aiding researchers in this field.

Area of Science:

  • Human biology
  • Pediatric health
  • Developmental science

Background:

  • Body composition offers deeper insights into biological responses than simple body size or weight measurements.
  • Infant body composition is a key indicator of fetal adaptation and the developmental programming of future health and disease.
  • Historically, limited methods were available for assessing infant body composition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive review of current body composition assessment methods for infants aged 0 to 2 years.
  • To evaluate the reliability, validity, and accuracy of these infant body composition techniques.
  • To offer guidance on suitable testing approaches and environments for infant body composition research.

Main Methods:

  • Anthropometric prediction equations
  • Air displacement plethysmography (ADP)
  • Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
  • Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)
  • Isotope dilution
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Main Results:

  • The review details various methods for infant body composition analysis, including their strengths and limitations.
  • Information on the reliability, validity, and accuracy of each method is presented.
  • Challenges unique to infant physiology and behavior in body composition assessment are highlighted.

Conclusions:

  • Despite challenges, a range of methods are available for infant body composition assessment.
  • This review provides valuable guidance for researchers investigating infant body composition.
  • Accurate assessment is vital for understanding infant health and developmental trajectories.

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