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Updated: Oct 15, 2026
Using Deuterium Oxide as a Non-Invasive, Non-Lethal Tool for Assessing Body Composition and Water Consumption in Mammals
Published on: February 20, 2020
A scoping review of infant body composition (0-24 months) assessed by deuterium dilution
Nouhayla Bouali1,2, Anass Houdou1,2, Chaymae El Abbass3
1Mohammed VI International School of Public Health, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health (UM6SS), Casablanca, Morocco.
Context:
The deuterium dilution technique is applicable across the 0-24 month age range in diverse resource settings. No structured review has previously mapped the scope of its use in this population.
Objective:
This scoping review was limited to mapping infant body composition studies (0-24 months) using deuterium dilution, describing methodological approaches, identifying contexts of applications, and highlighting evidence gaps.
Methods:
A structured literature search was conducted across four databases with citation tracking, following prisma-ScR guidelines.
Results:
Twenty-four studies from approximately 18-20 distinct cohorts across six continents were included from 1,078 identified records. Substantial heterogeneity was documented in every protocol element: dose, equilibration time, analytical platform, correction factor for non-aqueous exchange (unreported in approximately one-third of studies), and hydration model. This heterogeneity prevents direct comparison of fat mass and fat-free mass values across studies, precluding meta-analytic synthesis. Key gaps include the near-absence of data in preterm infants (one study), small for gestational age (SGA) or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) classification in only three of 24 studies, and incomplete breastfeeding documentation.
Conclusion:
This review maps a growing but methodologically heterogeneous literature. Standardised protocol reporting, dedicated preterm and SGA studies, and longitudinal designs linking early body composition to later outcomes are research priorities.
