The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that growth in size (weight, length, and head circumference) and in body composition (fat and lean mass) in preterm infants should adhere as close as possible to the growth and body composition of a healthy infant in utero at the same gestational age. However, there are no body composition reference curves available at this time for the preterm infant population. The purpose of this study is to collect cross-sectional body composition data using air displacement plethysmography (PEA POD Infant Body Composition System, Life Measurement, Inc) on approximately 240 preterm infants within 3 days of birth, for the purpose of generating means, standard deviations, and percentile values for total body fat mass, total fat free mass, and percent body fat for infants born at 30-36 weeks gestation. Relatively healthy infants without evidence of growth retardation will be selected for form the reference sample. The goal is to generate a set of common reference curves to be used in clinical centers against which to compare body composition status for individual infants.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
223
No intervention. This is an observational, normative study of body composition variation in preterm infants
Fat mass
Total body fat mass measured by air displacement plethysmography, in kg
Time frame: Within 72 hours of birth
Fat-free mass
Total body fat-free mass measured by air displacement plethysmography, in kg
Time frame: Within 72 hours of birth
Percent body fat
Percent body fat measured by air displacement plethysmography, in %
Time frame: Within 72 hours of birth
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