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Updated: May 1, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Adjustment of directly measured adipose tissue volume in infants
C Gale1, S Santhakumaran1, J C K Wells2
1Section of Neonatal Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Insights
New methods optimize infant body composition analysis. Researchers found specific adjustments for adipose tissue (AT) volume (ATV) based on height are best for neonatal and early infancy periods, improving accuracy in infant body fat measurement.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Body Composition Analysis
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Direct measurement of infant adipose tissue (AT) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is crucial for body composition studies.
- Standardized methods for adjusting these direct AT measurements for body size are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate relationships between infant body size and total/regional AT.
- To determine optimal methods for adjusting AT measures for body size and metabolic load in early life.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of regional AT volume (ATV) from MRI data in longitudinal and cross-sectional infant studies.
- Examination of statistical validity of common adiposity indices using log-log regression analysis.
- Determination of indices with mathematical independence from their denominators.
Main Results:
- Commonly used AT adjustment indices show significant correlation with body size.
- Optimal adjustment for most regional AT depots is ATV/(height^3) in the first month and ATV/(height^2) in early infancy.
- Internal abdominal (IA) AT volume is best adjusted relative to subcutaneous abdominal (SCA) AT volume using IA/SCA^0.6.
Conclusions:
- Statistically optimal indices for adjusting measured AT volume for body size differ by age: ATV/height^3 for neonates and ATV/height^2 for early infancy.
- The IA/SCA ratio, adjusted by IA/SCA^0.6, provides an optimal index for internal to subcutaneous abdominal AT depots across both neonatal and early infancy periods.
Background:
Direct measurement of adipose tissue (AT) using magnetic resonance imaging is increasingly used to characterise infant body composition. Optimal techniques for adjusting direct measures of infant AT remain to be determined.
Objectives:
To explore the relationships between body size and direct measures of total and regional AT, the relationship between AT depots representing the metabolic load of adiposity and to determine optimal methods of adjusting adiposity in early life.
Design:
Analysis of regional AT volume (ATV) measured using magnetic resonance imaging in longitudinal and cross-sectional studies.
Subjects:
Healthy term infants; 244 in the first month (1-31 days), 72 in early infancy (42-91 days).
Methods:
The statistical validity of commonly used indices adjusting adiposity for body size was examined. Valid indices, defined as mathematical independence of the index from its denominator, to adjust ATV for body size and metabolic load of adiposity were determined using log-log regression analysis.
Results:
Indices commonly used to adjust ATV are significantly correlated with body size. Most regional AT depots are optimally adjusted using the index ATV/(height)(3) in the first month and ATV/(height)(2) in early infancy. Using these indices, height accounts for<2% of the variation in the index for almost all AT depots. Internal abdominal (IA) ATV was optimally adjusted for subcutaneous abdominal (SCA) ATV by calculating IA/SCA(0.6).
Conclusions:
Statistically optimal indices for adjusting directly measured ATV for body size are ATV/height(3) in the neonatal period and ATV/height(2) in early infancy. The ratio IA/SCA ATV remains significantly correlated with SCA in both the neonatal period and early infancy; the index IA/SCA(0.6) is statistically optimal at both of these ages.
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