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Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Skinfold thickness of preterm newborns when they become late preterm infants
Meral Simsek1, Ebru Ergenekon2, Serdar Beken3
1Department of Pediatrics, Gazi University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Very low-birth-weight infants accumulate excess body fat early. Monitoring growth with advanced body composition tools is crucial to prevent future health issues in preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal nutrition and growth
- Body composition analysis in preterm infants
- Developmental pediatrics
Background:
- Adequate nutrition is vital for the physical and neurological development of very low-birth-weight newborns.
- Body composition assessment complements anthropometry for monitoring infant nutrition and growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate body fat changes in preterm infants (≤32 weeks gestation) using weekly skinfold thickness (SFT) measurements.
- To compare fat accumulation in these infants with late preterm infants (34-36 weeks gestation) at corrected ages of 34-36 weeks.
Main Methods:
- Skinfold thickness (SFT) was measured at four body sites (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac) in preterm infants (≤32 weeks gestation) weekly from 48 hours of age until 34-36 weeks corrected age (CA).
- Measurements were compared to those of late preterm infants born at 34, 35, and 36 weeks gestation.
Main Results:
- Preterm infants (≤32 weeks gestation) exhibited significantly higher SFT values across all measured sites compared to late preterm controls at 34, 35, and 36 weeks CA (P = .001).
- Total SFT medians at 34, 35, and 36 weeks CA were 14.6 mm, 15.5 mm, and 16.4 mm for preterm infants, versus 11 mm, 12.3 mm, and 12.9 mm for controls, respectively.
- No significant sex differences in SFT were observed at 34 and 35 weeks CA.
Conclusions:
- Preterm infants demonstrate early accumulation of excess body fat, beginning even in the initial weeks of life.
- Relying solely on standard anthropometric measurements may be insufficient; comprehensive growth assessment is necessary.
- Utilizing advanced body composition tools is essential to identify and manage potential future complications in preterm infants.
Background:
Nutrition of very low-birth-weight newborns is important for a good physical and neurologic outcome. Body composition assessment, together with anthropometric measurements, is considered necessary to monitor adequate nutrition and growth. Objectives of this study were to assess body fat changes in newborns ≤32 weeks gestation by weekly skinfold thickness (SFT) measurements and to compare them with those of late preterm infants born at 34, 35, and 36 weeks once they reached 34, 35, and 36 weeks corrected age (CA).
Materials And Methods:
Preterm infants ≤32 weeks gestation had SFT measured from 4 body sites, including biceps, triceps, and subscapulary and suprailiac regions, by a Holtain caliper starting from 48 hours of age at weekly intervals until 34, 35, and 36 weeks CA. The measurements were compared with those of late preterm controls born at 34, 35, and 36 weeks gestation.
Results:
There were 37 preterm infants in the patient group. When reaching 34, 35, and 36 weeks CA, preterm infants had higher SFT values compared with controls in all body sites. Median and range of total SFT were 14.6 mm (9.6-18.9 mm) in patients and 11 mm (7.8-16.4 mm) in controls at 34 weeks CA, 15.5 mm (10.7-21.8 mm) in patients and 12.3 mm (7-17 mm) in controls at 35 weeks CA, and 16.4 mm (11.8-23.7 mm) in patients and 12.9 mm (7-17.8 mm) in controls at 36 weeks CA (P = .001 in all). No sex difference was observed at 34 and 35 weeks.
Conclusion:
These results show that preterm infants start accumulating excess fat even from early weeks of life. Careful assessment of growth by tools other than simple anthropometric measurements is essential to avoid future complications.
