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Postnatal development of bone mineral status during infancy
Insights
In healthy infants, body weight is the primary factor influencing bone mineral status. Bone mineral content and density significantly increase during the first year of life.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Bone Health
- Infant Physiology
- Anthropometry
Background:
- Assessing bone mineral status in infants is crucial for early detection of potential health issues.
- Understanding the factors influencing bone development in early life is essential for establishing normative growth patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the changes in bone mineral status during the first year of postnatal development.
- To identify key anthropometric and physiological predictors of bone mineral status in healthy infants.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study involving 130 healthy infants (aged 1-391 days).
- Whole body bone mineral content (TB BMC) and bone mineral density (TB BMD) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
- Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to determine the relationship between bone mineral status and independent variables.
Main Results:
- Significant increases in average TB BMC (389%) and TB BMD (157%) were observed during infancy.
- Body weight was the strongest predictor, explaining 97% of TB BMC, 98% of TB area, and 86% of TB BMD variation.
- Postnatal age and body length had minimal additional impact on explained variation; race, gender, and season were not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Body weight is the predominant determinant of bone mineral status in healthy infants.
- The differential increases in TB BMC and TB BMD highlight distinct developmental trajectories.
- The generated normative data can aid in identifying abnormal infant bone mineral status.
Objective:
To determine postnatal development in bone mineral status and its relationship to anthropometric measurements and other physiologic variables during the first year.
Methods:
Cross-section observational study of total body bone mineral content (TB BMC) and density (TB BMD) of 130 healthy infants (71 male and 59 female with 63 white and 67 African American) between 1 and 391 days. Whole body dual energy X ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans were performed on unsedated infants using a bone densitometer with pediatric platform. Scan analyses were performed with software version V5.64P. The ability of study independent variables to explain variance in bone mineral status was determined by multiple linear regression analysis.
Results:
During infancy, average TB BMC increased by 389% and TB BMD increased by 157%. The best determinant of bone mineral status is body weight which accounted for 97% of TB BMC, 98% of TB area and 86% of TB BMD variation. Postnatal age and body length jointly added only 1%, < 1% and 2.5%, respectively, to the explained variation of these DXA measurements; race, gender and season all failed to reach statistical significance.
Conclusion:
In healthy infants, body weight is the dominant predictor of bone mineral status. The percent increase in TB BMC differs from increase in TB BMD. Normative data generated from this study would be useful in the identification of abnormal bone mineral status in infants.