Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #248505

Title: Very low birth weight infants who are fed human milk have decreased body fat as assessed by air displacement plethysmography

Author
item HICKS, PENNI - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item HAWTHORNE, KELI - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item ROGERS, STEFANIE - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item ABRAMS, STEVEN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Pediatric Academic Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/17/2009
Publication Date: 5/2/2009
Citation: Hicks, P.D., Hawthorne, K.M., Rogers, S.P., Abrams, S.A. 2009. Very low birth weight infants who are fed human milk have decreased body fat as assessed by air displacement plethysmography [abstract]. Pediatric Academic Society. Abstract no. 2365.8.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Methods to evaluate body composition in infants have recently been enhanced. There are few data regarding body composition in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Our objective was to evaluate body composition in VLBW infants consuming human milk or formula using novel techniques. Using air-displacement plethysmography (PEA POD Infant Body Composition System, Life Measurement Inc, Concord CA) (n =23) and speed of sound ultrasound (SOS U/S, Sunlight Onmisense 7000P, Sunlight Medical Ltd., Pasadena, MD) (n=30) we evaluated body composition in VLBW infants less than 32 weeks gestational age (GA) at birth. Using the PEA POD we found a significant negative correlation between GA at birth and % body fat (r = -0.56, p = 0.007). There was no significant correlation between % body fat and birth weight (r = -0.28, p = 0.21) or post menstrual age (r = 0.1, p = 0.62). There was a significant difference in % body fat when consuming human milk, 12.05 +/- 3.80 % or formula,14.43 +/- 1.41%, (p = 0.04) (mean +/- SD). There was no significant relationship between SOS U/S and post menstrual age (r = -0.19, p = 0.31), weight (r = -0.28, p = 0.12) or alkaline phosphatase activity (r = -0.29, p = 0.16). There is a trend towards a significant positive correlation between SOS U/S and GA at birth (r = 0.44, p = 0.07). Change in SOS U/S after 6 weeks increased an average of 2.2%, however some values decreased during this time period. Using novel techniques to evaluate body composition in VLBW infants we found greater % body fat in infants consuming formula than those fed human milk. We also found a trend towards greater SOS U/S measurement in infants born at a later GA. PEA POD and SOS U/S are novel techniques that can be used to evaluate body composition in VLBW infants in a NICU setting.