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Body Fatness and Cardiovascular Health in Newborn Infants
Hasthi U Dissanayake1,2, Rowena L McMullan3,4,5, Yang Kong6,7
1Boden Institute of Obesity, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. hasthi.dissanayake@sydney.edu.au.
Insights
Newborns with low or high body fat exhibit altered cardiovascular health markers, suggesting body composition is a better indicator of risk than birth weight alone. This research highlights the importance of assessing fetal growth through body fat analysis for early identification of cardiovascular risks.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Cardiovascular health
- Fetal development
Background:
- Birth weight is linked to cardiovascular disease risk, but it's an imprecise measure of fetal growth.
- Body composition analysis may offer a more accurate method for identifying high-risk infants.
- Understanding neonatal body composition's impact on cardiovascular markers is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in aortic wall thickness, cardiac autonomic control, and cardiac structure/function between newborns with low, average, and high body fat.
- To determine if body fat percentage is a better predictor of cardiovascular health markers than birth weight.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 189 healthy, term-born neonates.
- Stratified neonates into low, average, and high body fat percentile groups (sex and gestation-specific).
- Assessed aortic intima-media thickness, heart rate variability, and cardiac structure/function (e.g., ventricular wall thickness, stroke volume).
Main Results:
- Infants with low body fat showed increased aortic intima-media thickness and posterior wall thickness, and lower heart rate variability compared to average body fat infants.
- Infants with high body fat had lower stroke volume and heart rate variability than average body fat infants, with no significant difference in aortic intima-media thickness or cardiac structure.
- The relationship between body fatness and heart rate variability was independent of birth weight.
Conclusions:
- Both low and high body fat in newborns are associated with altered cardiovascular health indicators.
- Body composition, specifically body fat percentage, provides valuable insights into neonatal cardiovascular risk beyond birth weight.
- Assessing neonatal body fat alongside birth weight can aid in identifying infants at higher risk for cardiovascular issues.
Abstract:
Birth weight is associated with cardiovascular disease, with those at both ends of the spectrum at increased risk. However, birth weight is a crude surrogate of fetal growth. Measures of body composition may more accurately identify high risk infants. We aimed to determine whether aortic wall thickening, cardiac autonomic control, and cardiac structure/function differ in newborns with high or low body fatness compared to those with average body fatness. 189 healthy singleton term born neonates were recruited and stratified by body fat percentiles (sex and gestation-specific). Infants with low body fat had higher aortic intima-media thickness (43 µm (95% confidence interval (CI) 7, 78), p = 0.02), lower heart rate variability (log total power, -0.5 (95% CI -0.8, -0.1), p = 0.008), and thicker ventricular walls (posterior wall thickness, 3.1 mm (95% CI 1.6, 4.6), p < 0.001) compared to infants with average body fatness. Infants with high body fat showed no differences in aortic intima-media thickness (-2 µm (95% CI -37, 33), p = 0.91) or cardiac structure compared to average body fatness, although stroke volume (-0.3 mL/kg (95% CI -0.6, -0.0), p = 0.003) and heart rate variability were lower (log total power, -0.8 (95% CI -1.1, -0.5), p < 0.001). The non-linear association of body fatness with heart rate variability was independent of birth weight. Infants born with low or high body fat have altered markers of cardiovascular health. Assessment of body fatness alongside birth weight may assist in identifying high risk individuals.
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