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Infant body composition at 6 and 24 months: what are the driving factors?

Ina S Santos1, Caroline S Costa2, Andrew P Hills3

  • 1Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil. inasantos.epi@gmail.com.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|August 10, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Birth weight influences infant fat-free mass, while continued breastfeeding at 12 months is linked to reduced fat and fat-free mass in both sexes. These factors are key predictors of infant body composition.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Human Physiology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Infant body composition data is scarce.
  • Understanding early life factors influencing body composition is crucial for long-term health.
  • This study addresses the limited evidence on infant body composition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate factors associated with infant body composition at 6 and 24 months of age.
  • To identify predictors of fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) in early childhood.
  • To analyze the impact of birth weight and breastfeeding on body composition.

Main Methods:

  • Multicenter study involving cohorts from Australia, India, South Africa, Brazil, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
  • Body composition assessed using air-displacement plethysmography (ADP) at 6 months and deuterium dilution (DD) at 24 months.
  • Statistical analysis included multilevel modeling, considering country-level socioeconomic factors, maternal/infant characteristics, and infant feeding patterns.

Main Results:

  • Higher birth weight correlated with increased fat-free mass (FFM) and FFM index (FFMI) at 6 months, with sex-specific differences.
  • At 24 months, continued breastfeeding at 12 months was associated with reduced fat mass (FM), FFM, and FFMI in both girls and boys compared to those weaned earlier.
  • Birth weight and breastfeeding patterns emerged as significant independent predictors.

Conclusions:

  • Birth weight is an important determinant of FFM in early infancy.
  • Sustained breastfeeding beyond 12 months is associated with favorable body composition outcomes.
  • Birth weight and breastfeeding are independent predictors of infant body composition, regardless of sex.
Abstract

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