Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 22, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Can Basic Characteristics Estimate Body Composition in Early Infancy?
Nadia Liotto1, Paola Roggero, Beatrice Bracco
1Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Ca Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Insights
Body composition in infancy impacts future health. Gestational age, sex, and weight can predict infant fat-free mass and fat mass when direct assessment isn't possible.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Infant Health
- Body Composition Analysis
Background:
- Early life body composition is crucial for long-term health programming in both full-term and preterm infants.
- Accurate, non-invasive methods for assessing infant body composition are increasingly recommended.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key anthropometric measurements and basic characteristics that best correlate with infant body composition.
- To develop a predictive equation for infant body composition using readily available data.
Main Methods:
- Assessed body composition via air-displacement plethysmography in 1239 infants (full-term and preterm).
- Investigated associations between sex, gestational age (GA), and weight with fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) adjusted by length.
- Utilized multiple linear regression and Bland-Altman tests to analyze data and derive an FFM calculation equation.
Main Results:
- Preterm infants had significantly higher fat mass (FM) and lower fat-free mass (FFM) compared to full-term infants.
- Gestational age (GA), male sex, and weight were positively associated with FFM.
- GA and male sex showed negative associations with FM, while weight was positively associated with FM.
Conclusions:
- Direct body composition assessment is the gold standard.
- A predictive equation utilizing sex, gestational age (GA), and anthropometric measurements can reliably estimate body composition when direct assessment is not feasible for both full-term and preterm infants.
Objectives:
Increasing evidence demonstrates that body composition in early life contributes to the programming of health later in life in both full-term and preterm infants. Given the important role of body composition, the increased availability of easy, noninvasive, and accurate techniques for its assessment has been recommended. The aim of the present study was to identify basic characteristics and anthropometric measurements that best correlate with body composition in infants.
Methods:
Anthropometric measurements and body composition assessed by air-displacement plethysmography were assessed either at birth or at term-corrected age in 1239 infants (654 full-term, 585 preterm). The associations of sex, GA (gestational age), and weight with FFM (fat-free mass) and FM (fat mass) adjusted by length (g/cm) were investigated by multiple linear regression models. Bland-Altman tests were performed, and an equation for calculating FFM was determined.
Results:
Preterm infants exhibited increased FM and reduced FFM compared with full-term infants (477.6 ± 204 vs 259.7 ± 147 g and 2583 ± 494 vs 2770 ± 364 g, respectively). GA, male sex, and weight were positively associated with FFM (r = 0.806, P < 0.0001; 6.1 g of average bias). GA and male sex were negatively associated with FM, whereas weight was positively associated with FM (r = 0.641, P < 0.0001; 4.9 g of average bias).
Conclusions:
The assessment of body composition represents the criterion standard. When body composition assessment is not feasible, the equation based on sex, GA, and anthropometric measurements can be useful in predicting body composition in both full-term and preterm infants.
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