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Fat trajectory after birth in very preterm infants mimics healthy term infants

N A Al-Theyab1, T J Donovan1,2, Y A Eiby1

  • 1Centre for Clinical Research and Perinatal Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Pediatric Obesity
|September 27, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Very preterm infants have higher body fat and lower fat-free mass compared to term infants. Rapid fat accumulation after birth may mask underlying deficits if only weight is considered.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatalogy
  • Pediatric Growth and Development
  • Body Composition Analysis

Background:

  • Infants born very preterm exhibit suboptimal postnatal growth compared to intrauterine growth.
  • At term equivalent age, very preterm infants show increased body fat percentage versus term-born infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate body composition in infants born before 32 weeks postmenstrual age.
  • To compare body composition between very preterm infants and those born between 32-36 weeks gestation.

Main Methods:

  • Measured percentage fat, fat mass, and fat-free mass in 87 very preterm infants (studied at 32-36 weeks).
  • Compared measurements with 88 control infants born at 32-36 weeks gestation (measured days 2-5).

Main Results:

  • Very preterm infants (32-36 weeks) were lighter and shorter.
  • They exhibited significantly higher percentage fat and absolute fat mass.
  • Absolute fat-free mass was significantly lower in the very preterm group.

Conclusions:

  • Very preterm infants accumulate fat rapidly post-birth, alongside a fat-free mass deficit.
  • Birth or related events may trigger accelerated fat accretion.
  • Relying solely on weight for growth assessment can underestimate the fat-free mass deficit in these infants.
Abstract

Keywords:
Adiposityfat-free massgrowthpreterm infant

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