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Growth and body composition of preterm infants less than or equal to 32 weeks: Cohort study

Letícia Duarte Villela1, Maria Dalva Barbosa Baker Méio1, Vânia de Matos Fonseca1

  • 1Instituto Fernandes Figueira (IFF/Fiocruz), Brazil.

Early Human Development
|January 24, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Extremely preterm infants with low weight Z-scores at term age experience persistent fat-free mass deficits up to three months corrected age. Body fat differences, however, were not maintained over this period.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatalogy
  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Body Composition Analysis

Background:

  • Extremely preterm infants with low discharge weight (<10th percentile) exhibit a fat-free mass deficit.
  • Understanding body composition in preterm infants is crucial for long-term health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between low weight Z-scores at term age and subsequent fat-free mass and fat mass.
  • To track body composition changes in very preterm infants up to three months corrected age.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study included 66 preterm infants (born ≤32 weeks gestation) with birth weight ≥10th percentile.
  • Infants were categorized into "term (-)" (weight Z-score <-2SD) and "term (+)" (weight Z-score ≥-2SD) groups at term age.
  • Body composition was assessed using air displacement plethysmography and bioimpedance at term, 1 month, and 3 months corrected age.

Main Results:

  • The "term (-)" group showed significantly lower fat-free mass at term and up to 3 months corrected age.
  • While fat mass was lower in the "term (-)" group at term and 1 month, this difference diminished by 3 months corrected age.
  • Weight, length, and head circumference Z-scores were consistently lower in the "term (-)" group.

Conclusions:

  • Lean tissue deficits in preterm infants with low term weight Z-scores persist up to three months corrected age.
  • Differences in body fat percentage between groups were not sustained over the same period.
  • These findings highlight the long-term impact of early growth restriction on lean mass development in preterm infants.
Abstract

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