153 INTRAUTERINE WHOLE BODY BMC AND CALCIUM (CA) CONTENT ANALYSIS BY DUAL ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY (DXA) OF PRETERM AND TERM INFANTS AT BIRTH

Abstract

DXA is a safe, fast and non invasive techniques for assessing body composition in infants. Recently, we reported accuracy and precision of DXA measurements in small subjects. The aim of the present study was to determine reference values of whole body BMC during the last trimester of gestation by measuring healthy eutrophic preterm and term infants at birth. Whole body scan was performed using a QDR2000 infant whole body software 5.64 in 54 preterm and 53 term infants less than two weeks of age. Whole body calcium content was estimated using the conversion equation determined in small piglets (Picaud et al, AJCN 1996, in press) and the estimated calcium contents were compared to the values reported by Widdowson (1982) and Ellis et al (1993). Results: DXA estimates of Ca content were close to the literature values and centile reference curves were calculated. Table In conclusion, DXA estimate appears as a adequate method to determine whole body BMC and Ca content in preterm and term neonates. Those data would be usefull to quantify the relative osteopenia, frequently observed in VLBW infants at the time of discharge.