Body composition of infants at 6 months of age using a 3-compartment model

Two compartment (2 C) models of body composition, including Air Displacement Plethysmography (ADP) and Deuterium Dilution (DD), assume constant composition of fat-free mass (FFM), while 3-compartment (3 C) model overcomes some of these assumptions; studies are limited in infants. The objective of the present study is to compare 3 C estimates of body composition in 6-mo. old infants from Australia, India, and South Africa, including FFM density and hydration, compare with published literature and to evaluate agreement of body composition estimates from ADP and DD.

Body volume and water were measured in 176 healthy infants using ADP and DD. 3C-model estimates of fat mass (FM), FFM and its composition were calculated, compared between countries (age and sex adjusted) and with published literature. Agreement between estimates from ADP and DD were compared by Bland-Altman and correlation analyses.

South African infants had significantly higher % FM (11.5%) and density of FFM compared to Australian infants. Australian infants had significantly higher % FFM (74.7 ± 4.4%) compared to South African infants (71.4 ± 5.0) and higher FFMI (12.7 ± 0.8 kg/m²) compared to South African (12.3 ± 1.2 kg/m²) and Indian infants (11.9 ± 1.0 kg/m²). FFM composition of present study differed significantly from literature. Pooled three country estimates of FM and FFM were comparable between ADP and DD; mean difference of -0.05 (95% CI: -0.64, +0.55) kg and +0.05 (95% CI: -0.55, +0.64) kg.

3C-model estimates of body composition in infants differed between countries; future studies are needed to confirm these findings and investigate causes for the differences.