Body composition reference charts for infants from birth to 24 months: Multicenter Infant Body Composition Reference Study

Alexia J Murphy-Alford; William Johnson; Lukhanyo H Nyati; Ina S Santos; Andrew P Hills; Shabina Ariff; V Pujitha Wickramasinghe; Rebecca Kuriyan; M Nishani Lucas; Caroline S Costa; Christine Slater; Tanvir Ahmad; Nuala M Byrne; Priscilla J Divya; Anura V Kurpad; Leila I Cheikh Ismail; Cornelia U Loechl; Shane A Norris; Multicenter Infant Body Composition Reference Study (MIBCRS)

doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.02.012

Body composition reference charts for infants from birth to 24 months: Multicenter Infant Body Composition Reference Study

Am J Clin Nutr. 2023 Jun;117(6):1262-1269. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.02.012. Epub 2023 May 11.

Authors

Alexia J Murphy-Alford¹, William Johnson², Lukhanyo H Nyati³, Ina S Santos⁴, Andrew P Hills⁵, Shabina Ariff⁶, V Pujitha Wickramasinghe⁷, Rebecca Kuriyan⁸, M Nishani Lucas⁷, Caroline S Costa⁴, Christine Slater⁹, Tanvir Ahmad¹⁰, Nuala M Byrne⁵, Priscilla J Divya⁸, Anura V Kurpad⁸, Leila I Cheikh Ismail¹¹, Cornelia U Loechl⁹, Shane A Norris¹²; Multicenter Infant Body Composition Reference Study (MIBCRS)

Affiliations

¹ Division of Human Health, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: [email protected].
² School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom.
³ SAMRC Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
⁴ Post-graduate Program in Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.
⁵ School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia.
⁶ Department of Pediatric and Child Health, Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Sindh, Pakistan.
⁷ Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
⁸ St John's Research Institute, Bengaluru, India.
⁹ Division of Human Health, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.
¹⁰ Life Science Group, Isotope Application Division, Pakistan; Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), Nilore, Islamabad, Pakistan.
¹¹ Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
¹² SAMRC Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; School of Human Development and Health, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.

PMID: 37270290
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.02.012

Abstract

Background: Body composition assessment in the first 2 y of life provides important insights into child nutrition and health. The application and interpretation of body composition data in infants and young children have been challenged by a lack of global reference data.

Objectives: We aimed to develop body composition reference charts of infants aged 0-6 mo based on air displacement plethysmography (ADP) and those aged 3-24 mo based on total body water (TBW) by deuterium dilution (DD).

Methods: Body composition was assessed by ADP in infants aged 0-6 mo from Australia, India, and South Africa. TBW using DD was assessed for infants aged 3-24 mo from Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Reference charts and centiles were constructed for body composition using the lambda-mu-sigma method.

Results: Sex-specific reference charts were produced for FM index (FMI), FFM index (FFMI), and percent FM (%FM) for infants aged 0-6 mo (n = 470 infants; 1899 observations) and 3-24 mo (n = 1026 infants; 3690 observations). When compared with other available references, there were observable differences but similar patterns in the trajectories of FMI, FFMI, and %FM.

Conclusions: These reference charts will strengthen the interpretation and understanding of body composition in infants across the first 24 mo of life.

Keywords: air displacement plethysmography; body composition; deuterium dilution; fat mass index; fat-free mass index; infants; reference charts.

Publication types

Multicenter Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adipose Tissue / metabolism
Australia
Body Composition*
Body Mass Index
Child
Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Infant
Male
Plethysmography* / methods

Grants and funding

DH_/Department of Health/United Kingdom