Is term newborn body composition being achieved postnatally in preterm infants?

• Published in: Early human development Vol. 85; no. 6; pp. 349 - 352
• Main Authors: Roggero, Paola, Giannì, Maria Lorella, Amato, Orsola, Orsi, Anna, Piemontese, Pasqua, Morlacchi, Laura, Mosca, Fabio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.06.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Advanced Basic Science; Biological and medical sciences; Birth Weight; Body Composition; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Fat mass; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature - growth & development; Longitudinal Studies; Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine; Preterm infants; Prospective Studies; Fat mass; Body composition; Preterm infants; Human; Newborn; Prematurity; Fat
• ISSN: 0378-3782; 1872-6232; 1872-6232
• DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.12.011

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that preterm infants' growth duplicates fetal growth rates and that body composition replicates in utero body composition. To compare the total body fat mass between preterm infants assessed at term corrected age and full-term newborns, and to investigate the effects of gestational age, gender, weight increase, being breast fed on total adiposity. Prospective observational study. One hundred and ten preterm infants [mean (SD) gestational age: 29.9 (2.3) weeks; birth weight: 1118 (274) g], and 87 full term [mean (SD) 38.6 (1.21) weeks, 3203 (385) g], breastfed infants. Growth and body composition by means of a pediatric air displacement system were assessed at term corrected age in preterm infants and on day 3 of life in full term infants. Weight, length and head circumference were smaller in the preterm group as compared to the term group. Mean (SD) percentage of fat mass in preterm infants was significantly higher as compared to term infants [14.8 (4.4) vs 8.59 (3.71), P < 0.0001]. Fat mass was negatively correlated with gestational age ( P < 0.001), and positively associated with weight increase ( P < 0.05). Our data suggest that body composition, in terms of fat mass, in preterm infants at term corrected age is different from that of full term newborns.