Clinical Application of Body Composition Methods in Premature Infants.

Emily Nagel, Marie Hickey, Levi Teigen, Adam Kuchnia, Kent Curran, Lisa Soumekh, Carrie Earthman, Ellen Demerath, Sara Ramel

Journal: JPEN. Journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition 2021;44(5):785-795

PMID: 32026515

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Abstract

Monitoring whole body composition (fat mass and fat-free mass) in preterm infants may assist in optimizing nutrition and promoting growth and neurodevelopment in the neonatal intensive care unit. Currently, body composition assessment is not part of routine clinical evaluation of premature infants. Instead, weight and length are used to assess growth but are known to be poor predictors of adiposity shortly after birth. Although body composition methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging, stable-isotope dilution, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, have been examined in infants, they involve exposure to radiation and are invasive, expensive, and/or unsuitable for repeated measurements in a medically fragile population. Several body composition methods with potential for clinical use have been explored in premature infants, including air displacement plethysmography, bioimpedance, skinfold measurements, and ultrasound. In this review, we examine each method and evaluate its feasibility for incorporation into clinical care. Although these methods show promise for use in premature infants, further research is needed before they can be recommended for routine body composition assessment in the clinical setting.

Address: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.; Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.; Department of Gastroenterology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.; Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.; Department of Pediatrics, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, USA.; School of Medicine, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.; University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.; School of Public Health, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

DOI: 10.1002/jpen.1803

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MeSH Terms: Absorptiometry, Photon, Body Composition, Body Weight, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Premature, Plethysmography