Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA) for the monitoring of body composition in pregnancy

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 76; no. 4; pp. 604 - 609
• Main Authors: Moroni, A., Vardè, C., Giustetto, A., Stagi, S., Marini, E., Micheletti Cremasco, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.04.2022; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/700/2814; 692/700/2817; 9/10; 9/30; Bioelectricity; Body composition; Body Composition - physiology; Clinical Nutrition; Cost analysis; Electric Impedance; Epidemiology; Female; Gestation; Humans; Impedance; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Physiology; Postpartum; Pregnancy; Public Health; Vector analysis
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/s41430-021-00990-7

Background/Objectives During pregnancy, body composition alterations can be considered as markers of complications and in this context, a non-invasive and low-cost method such as Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA), can be employed to monitor such changes. This study aimed at identifying body compartments trend during physiological pregnancy. Subjects/Methods Classic and specific BIVA variables have been measured in a sample of 37 pregnant women approximately every 4 weeks of gestation and once postpartum. Researchers used both longitudinal and cross-sectional approach. The first case included data of women from the 11th to the 15th week along with data from the 28th to the 32nd week of gestation. The cross-sectional approach regarded two more specific moments (11th–12th weeks and 30th–31st weeks) and data within two months postpartum Results The longitudinal approach showed a significant decrease in classic BIVA variables (R/H, Xc/H, Z/H p  < 0.001) and a shortening of the vector, pointing out that TBW and hydration increased significantly. Specific vector length increased significantly, indicating a physiological gain of FM% ( p  < 0.01). The cross-sectional approach showed lower values of R/H, Xc/H, Z/H between 12th–13th and 30th–31st weeks ( p  < 0.01), while in the postpartum period values tended to those registered at the beginning of pregnancy. No changes have been found for the phase angle in both approaches, indicating that ECW/ICW ratio remained constant Conclusions Among physiological pregnancies, bioelectric values showed a coherent trend and these results represent a first contribution to support routine exams, leading to an early detection of anomalous values potentially correlated to pathologies.