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Body composition in late preterm infants according to percentile at birth
Maria Lorella Giannì1, Paola Roggero1, Nadia Liotto1
1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS "Ca' Granda" Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Insights
Late preterm infants show rapid fat mass growth after birth, regardless of birth percentile. At term, their fat mass index is higher than that of full-term newborns, suggesting potential long-term health implications.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal research
- Pediatric body composition analysis
- Infant growth studies
Background:
- Limited data exists on the body composition of late preterm infants based on birth percentile.
- Understanding infant body composition is crucial for assessing long-term health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the body composition of late preterm infants relative to their birth percentile.
- To compare the body composition of late preterm infants with that of term newborns.
Main Methods:
- Utilized air displacement plethysmography for growth and body composition assessment.
- Included 122 late preterm infants (appropriate and small for gestational age) and 42 healthy term infants.
- Assessed infants on the fifth day of life and at term.
Main Results:
- At birth, late preterm infants had lower fat mass and fat-free mass indexes compared to term newborns.
- Both fat mass and fat-free mass increased significantly in late preterm infants postnatally.
- At term, late preterm infants exhibited a higher fat mass index than term newborns.
Conclusions:
- Late preterm infants exhibit a growth pattern dominated by fat mass accretion, irrespective of birth percentile.
- Further research is needed to determine the long-term clinical implications of these body composition changes.
Background:
The data on body composition of late preterm infants, evaluated according to percentile at birth, are scarce. The study aimed to investigate body composition of late preterm infants, according to percentile at birth, and to compare their body composition with that of term newborns.
Methods:
A total of 122 (99 appropriate and 23 small for gestational age (SGA)) late preterm infants underwent growth and body composition assessment using an air displacement plethysmography system on the fifth day of life and at term. The reference group was composed of 42 healthy, term, breast-fed infants.
Results:
At birth, appropriate and SGA late preterm infants had lower fat mass and fat-free mass indexes than term newborns. The fat mass and fat-free mass content increased significantly throughout the study, irrespective of percentile at birth. At term, fat mass index, but not fat-free mass index, was higher in both appropriate and SGA late preterm infants than in term newborns.
Conclusion:
Late preterm infants, irrespective of their percentile at birth, show postnatal growth characterized by predominant fat mass accretion. The potential long-term health clinical implications of these findings need to be further elucidated.
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