Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Body Composition following Necrotising Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants
Christoph Binder1,2, Nicholas Longford2, Chris Gale2
1Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine and Neuropediatrics, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Preterm infants with necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) had lower body weight and reduced adipose tissue volume at term. Nutritional regimens preserved non-adipose tissue mass but not normal fat deposition.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Body Composition Analysis
Background:
- Optimal nutrition for preterm infants, especially those with necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), remains unclear.
- Understanding body composition in NEC survivors is crucial for assessing long-term health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and compare body composition at term in infants who experienced NEC versus healthy preterm infants.
- To determine if nutritional interventions impact non-adipose tissue mass (non-ATM) and adipose tissue volume (ATV) in NEC survivors.
Main Methods:
- Compared body composition using magnetic resonance imaging at term in infants born <31 weeks gestational age.
- Analyzed data from the NEON trial, comparing infants with surgical NEC, medical NEC, and no NEC (reference group).
Main Results:
- Infants with surgical or medically managed NEC were significantly lighter and had lower total adipose tissue volume (ATV) compared to the reference group.
- No significant differences were observed in non-adipose tissue mass (non-ATM) between NEC groups and the reference group.
Conclusions:
- Lower term-corrected weight in NEC infants is primarily due to reduced ATV, not non-ATM.
- Current nutritional regimens adequately preserve non-ATM but may be insufficient for normal third-trimester adipose tissue deposition in preterm infants.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Composite Bodies
Composite bodies have widespread applications in mechanical engineering, from automobiles to aircraft to rockets. For example, an automobile wheel comprises...
Composition of Body Fluids
Classifying Matter by Composition
According to its composition, the matter can be classified into two broad categories — pure substances and mixtures.
A pure substance is a form of matter that has a constant composition throughout with uniform properties. For example, any sample of sucrose has the same composition and same physical properties, such as melting point, color, and sweetness, regardless of the source from which it is isolated.
A mixture is composed of two or...
Composition of Blood
Formed elements constitute the remaining 45% of the blood volume. These...
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
Moments of Inertia for Composite Areas
The second moment of area, also known as the moment of inertia, measures a structure's resistance to bending. It is calculated by...

