Factors affecting fetal growth and body composition

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Medicine
• Human Physiology
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Fetal growth is a complex process influenced by numerous factors.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for identifying potential growth abnormalities.
• Birth weight and body composition are key indicators of fetal development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors influencing fetal growth, specifically birth weight and body composition.
• To analyze the relationship between maternal, paternal, and neonatal characteristics and fetal growth parameters.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 183 singleton infants underwent assessment of birth weight and body composition within 24 hours of birth.
• Independent variables included maternal (height, weight, pregravid weight, weight gain, education, parity), paternal (height, weight), and neonatal (sex, gestational age) factors.
• Stepwise regression analysis was employed to determine the correlation between independent variables and fetal growth metrics.

Main Results:

• Males exhibited higher birth weight and fat-free mass compared to females, though fat mass did not differ significantly.
• Gestational age was the strongest predictor of birth weight (R²=0.10), neonatal sex for fat-free mass (R²=0.08), and parity for fat mass (R²=0.08).
• The analyzed variables accounted for 29% of birth weight variation, 30% of fat-free mass variation, and 17% of fat mass variation.

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest that diverse genetic and environmental factors can modulate fetal growth.
• These factors appear to influence the differential development of fetal fat and fat-free mass.
• This supports the concept of multifactorial influences on fetal growth trajectories.