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Fat Distribution among Children Born Extremely Low Birth Weight and Very Low Birth Weight: A Cohort Study

Susi Araújo Alves1, Emanuela Virginia Cavalcante1, Narjara Tiane Melo1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Faculdade Pernambucana de Saúde (FPS), Recife, Brazil.

Childhood Obesity (Print)
|October 16, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Children born extremely low birth weight (ELBW) have significantly higher visceral fat thickness compared to those born very low birth weight (VLBW). This difference in fat distribution persists into childhood, impacting long-term health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Fat distribution is linked to chronic disease development.
  • Birth weight is a critical factor influencing lifelong fat distribution patterns.
  • Understanding early-life influences on adiposity is crucial for preventative health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare abdominal fat distribution in children born extremely low birth weight (ELBW) versus very low birth weight (VLBW).
  • To investigate the impact of birth weight classification on visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study design.
  • Inclusion of children around their 7th year of life.
  • Assessment of abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat thickness using ultrasonography.
  • Statistical analysis via multiple linear regression.

Main Results:

  • Children born ELBW exhibited significantly increased visceral fat thickness compared to those born VLBW (3.13 mm vs. 1.86 mm).
  • Subcutaneous fat thickness did not differ significantly between the ELBW and VLBW groups.
  • The observed difference in visceral fat remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, and BMI.

Conclusions:

  • Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) is associated with increased visceral adiposity in childhood compared to very low birth weight (VLBW).
  • Altered fat distribution, specifically higher visceral fat, in ELBW survivors may have long-term implications for metabolic health.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the long-term health consequences of this early-life difference in fat distribution.

Keywords:
extremely low birth weightfat distributionsubcutaneous fatvisceral fat

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