Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Monitor Nutritional Status of Neonates: A Review

Area of Science:

• Neonatal health
• Nutritional science
• Medical technology

Background:

• Undernutrition causes over half of deaths in children under five in developing nations, primarily in the first week of life.
• Undernourished neonates face lifelong health problems like obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, impaired development, stunting, and cognitive deficits.
• Neonatal body fat percentage is a key indicator of nutritional status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and discuss the potential of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for measuring body fat in neonates.
• To compare NIRS with existing methods for neonatal body fat assessment.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on methods for measuring neonatal body fat.
• Discussion of the principles and application of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in neonates.

Main Results:

• Body fat percentage is a critical marker for neonatal undernutrition.
• Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) presents a promising, non-invasive method for assessing body fat in neonates.

Conclusions:

• Accurate measurement of neonatal body fat is crucial for identifying undernutrition and preventing adverse outcomes.
• Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) warrants further investigation as a valuable tool for neonatal body composition analysis.