ARS | Publication request: Nuclear magnetic resonance for measurement of body composition in infants and children

Submitted to: Annual Scientific Meeting NAASO, The Obesity Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 7, 2010
Publication Date: November 11, 2010
Citation: Andres, A., Badger, T.M. 2010. Nuclear magnetic resonance for measurement of body composition in infants and children. Annual Scientific Meeting NAASO, The Obesity Society. 18(S2):S169.

Technical Abstract: Measurement of body composition in infants and children is currently challenging. Air Displacement Plethysmography (ADP) has not been validated between ages 6 mo and 6 y and the requirement for stillness of the Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) technique limits its use. Quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (QMR) has been previously used in human adults to obtain accurate and precise measures of body fat and fat free mass. The current study assessed a device specially designed to accommodate infants and children between 3 and 50 kg (EchoMRI-AH™). Body composition of 54 infants and children aged 3 mo to 12 yr (5.2-47.6kg) was measured using DXA, ADP and QMR. Results were compared with the deuterium dilution technique. Linear regression analysis was used. Deuterium dilution and QMR results were obtained on 50 children. DXA results were obtained on 36 children. Only 29 children were able to perform ADP measurements. The QMR technique yielded results that were positively and significantly correlated to the deuterium dilution technique for fat mass (r2=0.98), fat free mass (r2=0.99) and total body water (r2=0.99), which were similar to the results obtained with DXA. In the complete data set (N=24) including QMR, DXA and ADP, estimation of fat mass was highly correlated (P<0.01) to deuterium results (r2=0.98, r2=0.99 and r2=0.95, respectively). Results obtained using QMR technique are within the accuracy of currently available techniques. According to these data, QMR is an accurate new method to longitudinally evaluate body composition in infants and children.