Preterm birth and metabolic implications on later life: A narrative review focused on body composition

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Neonatology
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Preterm infants exhibit lower birth weight and fat mass compared to full-term neonates.
• At term corrected age, preterm infants show increased body fat mass, posing risks for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases.
• Sex-specific differences in later-life metabolic and cardiovascular risk profiles exist in individuals born preterm.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current understanding of body composition in children born preterm.
• To focus on body composition analysis in the pre-school age group.
• To explore the utility of body composition analysis for predicting later health risks.

Main Methods:

• This narrative review synthesizes existing literature on body composition in preterm infants.
• It examines anthropometric parameters and body composition changes during postnatal growth.
• The review highlights the importance of differentiating fat and lean mass for assessing growth quality.

Main Results:

• Weight gain alone is insufficient for assessing nutritional status in preterm infants.
• Body composition analysis offers a more accurate measure of growth quality by distinguishing fat and lean mass.
• Early identification of altered body composition can guide preventive strategies.

Conclusions:

• Body composition analysis is a valuable tool for predicting metabolic and cardiovascular risks in children born preterm.
• Longitudinal follow-up incorporating body composition assessment can identify high-risk individuals.
• Early intervention strategies can be implemented based on body composition data to mitigate future health issues.