The need for revised standards for skinfold thickness in infancy

Area of Science:

• Pediatric endocrinology
• Human growth and development
• Body composition analysis

Background:

• Subcutaneous fat assessment is crucial for monitoring infant growth and health.
• Current skinfold standards (Tanner standards) were established 30 years ago during a period of higher infantile obesity.
• Recent studies suggest a trend towards leaner infants, potentially rendering existing standards outdated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the skinfold thickness of 252 Cambridge infants over their first two years of life.
• To compare these measurements against the established Tanner skinfold standards.
• To determine the need for updated skinfold reference standards for contemporary infants.

Main Methods:

• Calculation of Standard Deviation (SD) scores for triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness in 252 infants.
• Comparison of infant SD scores with the Tanner skinfold standards, accounting for skewness.
• Longitudinal data collection covering the first 2 years of infant age.

Main Results:

• Cambridge infants exhibited lower SD scores than the Tanner standards across all ages studied.
• Triceps skinfold SD scores ranged from -1.2 to -1.8.
• Subscapular skinfold SD scores ranged from -0.6 to -1.2.

Conclusions:

• The findings indicate that current infants are generally leaner than reflected in the Tanner skinfold standards.
• There is a clear need for the development of new skinfold standards to accurately represent current infant body composition.
• The skinfold measurements from the Cambridge infants could potentially inform the creation of these new reference standards.