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Near-infrared interactance in assessing superficial body fat in exclusively breast-fed, full-term neonates
1Department of Pediatrics, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.
Insights
Breastfeeding promotes healthy weight gain in newborns without increasing superficial body fat. This study used near-infrared interactance to monitor body fat changes in infants during the first weeks of life.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Biomedical optics
Background:
- Assessing neonatal body composition is crucial for monitoring infant health.
- Traditional methods like skinfold thickness may not accurately reflect superficial fat changes.
- Near-infrared interactance offers a non-invasive method for body fat estimation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in superficial body fat percentage in healthy, breast-fed neonates.
- To evaluate the relationship between near-infrared interactance measurements and body fat.
- To determine the effect of breastfeeding on neonatal body fat accumulation and weight gain.
Main Methods:
- Near-infrared interactance measurements (optical densities at 937 nm and 947 nm) were taken in 91 neonates (first 5 days) and 28 infants (2 and 4 weeks).
- Optical density ratios were correlated with chemical fat content in pork samples.
- Skinfold thickness was measured at the subscapular area for comparison.
Main Results:
- The optical density ratio showed acceptable agreement with chemical fat content in pork samples.
- No correlation was found between optical density ratio and skinfold thickness.
- In the first five days, no significant change in optical density ratio was observed, with a maximum weight loss of 3%.
- From birth to four weeks, superficial body fat increased by only 2% despite a 26% weight gain in the breast-fed infants.
Conclusions:
- Near-infrared interactance is a viable method for estimating superficial body fat changes in neonates.
- Breastfeeding supports adequate neonatal weight gain without accelerating superficial fat accumulation.
- The findings support breastfeeding as a method to ensure healthy infant development.
Abstract:
Near-infrared interactance was used to study changes in the percentage of superficial body fat in 91 healthy, breast-fed, full-term neonates during the first five days of life (group 1) and subsequently at two and four weeks of age in 28 infants (group 2). Near-infrared interactance was recorded as optical densities (ODs) at 937 nm and 947 nm. OD ratio agreed acceptably with fat content determined chemically in 16 pork meat samples. No correlation between OD ratio and skinfold thickness (measured at the same site in the subscapular area) was found. In group 1, no change was found in OD ratio, and maximum weight loss (at two days of age) was only 3%. In group 2, percentage of superficial body fat (estimated via OD ratios) increased by only 2%, despite normal weight gain (26% increase from birth weight). Breast feeding thus maintains adequate weight gain without accelerating superficial fat accumulation during the neonatal period.