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Updated: Sep 16, 2025
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Anthropometry and Body Composition in Childhood: Follow-Up of a Randomised, Double-Blinded Controlled Trial With a
Jacqueline Muts1,2, Stefanie M P Kouwenhoven3,4, Nadja Antl5,6
1Department of Pediatrics, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Insights
Using a modified low-protein infant formula did not improve body composition at age 6. Infants fed this formula had less fat-free mass compared to standard formula, and higher fat mass than breastfed infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric nutrition
- Human growth and development
- Body composition analysis
Background:
- Formula feeding is linked to higher obesity risk than breastfeeding, potentially due to protein content.
- Early life nutrition significantly impacts long-term growth and body composition.
- Investigating modified infant formulas aims to mitigate potential negative health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of a modified low-protein (mLP) infant formula on growth and body composition at 6 years of age.
- To compare the effects of mLP formula versus standard formula and breastfeeding on infant development.
- To determine if early-life protein intake influences later body composition.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial involving term-born infants fed mLP formula or standard control (CTRL) formula for the first 6 months.
- A breastfed (BF) group served as a reference for comparison.
- Anthropometry and body composition (air-displacement plethysmography) were measured at 6 years of age.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in weight, length, BMI, or fat mass percentage were found between mLP and CTRL groups at 6 years.
- Mean fat-free mass was significantly lower in the mLP group compared to the CTRL group (-1240g).
- Both formula-fed groups exhibited higher absolute fat mass than the breastfed group.
Conclusions:
- Feeding a modified low-protein infant formula in early life did not yield beneficial effects on body composition at 6 years.
- Lower fat-free mass observed in the mLP group suggests potential long-term implications.
- Formula feeding, regardless of protein modification, was associated with greater adiposity compared to breastfeeding.
Introduction:
Formula feeding is associated with an increased obesity risk compared to breastfeeding, possibly due to its higher protein content. We aimed to investigate the influence of feeding a modified, low-protein infant formula during the first 6 months of life on growth and body composition at 6 years.
Methods:
Healthy term-born infants were randomised to receive a low-protein (mLP) infant formula with modified amino acid composition (n = 90; 1.7 g protein/100 kcal) or a control infant formula (CTRL) (n = 88; 2.1 g protein/100 kcal) up to 6 months. A breastfed (BF, n = 67) group served as a reference. At 6 years, anthropometry and body composition (air-displacement plethysmography) were measured.
Results:
A total of 106 infants were measured at 6y follow-up, (n = 39 mLP; n = 33 CTRL; n = 34 BF). No significant differences were observed in mean weight, length, BMI, or fat mass percentage. However, the mean fat-free mass was lower in the mLP compared to the CTRL group (-1240 g; 95% CI: -1889 to -591, p < 0.001). Moreover, both formula groups had a higher absolute fat mass when compared to the breastfed group (p = 0.01).
Conclusions:
Feeding a mLP formula during early life did not have beneficial effects on body composition in a subset of infants studied at age 6 year.
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