Body composition in infants

Abstract

The assessment of body composition in infants can be challenging. Weight for height and body mass index measures can be useful in the clinical setting, but they do not provide more detailed information on body composition. It can be important to know the relative contributions of lean body mass and fat mass to total body mass. In older children and adults, techniques like dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and air displacement plethysmography can be useful; however, these methods are often not easily applicable to newborns or infants. In this volume of The Journal, Plows et al report on the results of the development and validation of a prediction model for fat mass in infants. In this analysis, they used quantitative magnetic resonance as the standard and evaluated whether readily available variables could be used in a prediction model. The prediction model developed was shown to compare favorably with previously published approaches to prediction of fat mass. Plows et al propose that the prediction equations can be used in the clinical setting to identify those at risk of obesity and its complications. Infancy is a time when nutrition and growth are crucial elements in the assessment of health. This point may be even more true for infants born prematurely or with other factors that may adversely impact nutrition and growth. It should be remembered that the prediction model developed by Plows et al is derived from cohorts of healthy infants. So, future research is needed to determine if these prediction models can be broadened to other populations. Article page 130 ▸ Development and Validation of a Prediction Model for Infant Fat MassThe Journal of PediatricsVol. 243PreviewTo develop and validate a prediction model for fat mass in infants ≤12 kg using easily accessible measurements such as weight and length. Full-Text PDF