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Body Composition in Adults Born at Very Low Birthweight-A Sibling Study

Samuel Sandboge1,2, Juho Kuula1,3, Helena Hauta-Alus1,4,5,6

  • 1Population Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.

Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
|January 8, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Adults born very low birthweight (VLBW) have less favorable body composition, including lower limb fat and appendicular muscle mass, compared to siblings. These differences may link VLBW to increased cardiometabolic risk.

Area of Science:

  • Human Physiology
  • Perinatal Medicine
  • Body Composition Analysis

Background:

  • Individuals born very low birthweight (VLBW) often exhibit smaller adult stature compared to term-born peers.
  • Specific body composition characteristics in VLBW adults remain less understood.
  • Understanding these characteristics is crucial for assessing cardiometabolic disease risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate if adults born at VLBW possess less beneficial body composition.
  • To determine if these body composition differences mediate the link between VLBW and cardiometabolic disease.
  • To utilize sibling controls to account for shared genetic and lifestyle factors.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study included 77 VLBW adults and 70 term-born siblings.
  • Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry assessed body composition at a mean age of 29 years.
  • Appendicular skeletal mass (ASM) and fat mass (FM) distribution were analyzed, including skeletal mass index (SMI) and ASM/BMI.

Main Results:

  • VLBW adults were lighter and shorter than sibling controls.
  • They exhibited lower limb/trunk fat ratios, reduced lean body mass (LBM), and lower ASM and ASM/BMI.
  • No significant differences were found in overall fat mass (FM) or skeletal mass index (SMI).

Conclusions:

  • Adults born at VLBW demonstrate altered body composition, characterized by reduced appendicular muscle mass and a more centralized fat distribution.
  • These findings suggest potential mechanisms linking VLBW to increased cardiometabolic risk.
  • Subgroup analysis indicated these effects were more pronounced in those born VLBW and small for gestational age (SGA).
Abstract

Keywords:
DXAbody compositioncohortpretermsibling studyvery low birth weight

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