Association between preterm infant body composition in the first 3 months of life and preschool age: a cohort study

Compared to full-term infants, preterm infants experience a fat-free mass deficit in the first months of life, which increases their risk of metabolic diseases later on.

In this cohort of children born at or before 32 weeks of gestational age or weighing less than 1500 grams, we aimed to assess the relationships between body composition at term equivalent age and during the first 3 months of life with fat-free mass and fat mass percentage at 4 to 7 years of age. Body composition assessments were conducted using air displacement plethysmography and anthropometry at term, at 3 months of corrected age, and at 4 to 7 years.

Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify associations between body composition at these stages. At term, fat mass percentage was negatively associated, while fat-free mass was positively associated with fat-free mass at 4 to 7 years. Additionally, fat-free mass at 3 months and the gain in fat-free mass between term and 3 months were positively correlated with fat-free mass at 4 to 7 years.

The study concluded that body composition in the preschool years is linked to fat-free mass during the first 3 months of life, a critical period for the risk of metabolic diseases.

Article details:

- Title: Association between preterm infant body composition in the first 3 months of life and preschool age: a cohort study
- Authors: Sylvia Reis Gonçalves Nehab, Letícia Duarte Villela, Andrea Dunshee Abranches, Saint Clair S Gomes Junior, Fernanda Valente Mendes Soares, Maria Elisabeth Lopes Moreira.
- Published in: European Journal of Pediatrics Volume 183, pages 3369–3375, (2024) - Published: 16 May 2024
- Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-024-05603-6