Body composition of breastfed infants ő a comparison of bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy and ultrasound assessment (1017.3)

Abstract

An accurate non‐invasive methodology to measure infant body composition is required to identify infants at risk of obesity. This study compared bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) and ultrasound (US) methods and assessed effect of milk intake on BIS. Percentage Fat Mass (%FM) of 5 and 9 month old healthy, term infants was determined with BIS pre and post a breastfeed using software default calculations. Milk intake was measured by the test‐weigh method. Skin and subcutaneous fat thickness was measured at the tricipital and subscapular sites with US and the measurements were used to predict %FM. Milk intake (mL) was (median [IQR] 64.5 [43.3, 87.0]). Post and pre feed BIS measurements were not significantly different (p=0.29), regardless of milk intake. US %FM predictions (median [IQR] 25.5 [21.8, 28.8]) were consistent with reference values for infant body composition. BIS %FM measurements (median [IQR] 16.7 [14.5,19.4]) were significantly lower than US %FM (p<0.001). Milk intake did not significantly affect BIS readings. Preliminary results indicate that US is an acceptable non‐invasive method for predicting %FM and BIS consistently underestimates %FM.Grant Funding Source: Medela AG