06 November 2013
Is body fat percentage a better measure of undernutrition in newborns than birth weight percentiles?.

A new study published on the prestigious Pediatric Research Journal shows that infant morbidity can be predicted more accurately from %fat vs. birth weight.
The objective of this study (carried out by Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Australia) was to describe neonatal morbidity associated with low body fat percentage (BF%) and measure the number of undernourished neonates defined by BF% and compare this with birth weight percentiles (<10th). Air displacement plethysmography (ADP) with the PEA POD was used as it was considered the only option to noninvasively, accurately, and quickly measure BF% in infants from birth to 6 mo of age.
The article finds that "measuring BF% is more closely associated with identification of neonates at risk of neonatal morbidity as compared with birth weight percentiles. BF% measurements could assist with identifying neonates who are appropriately grown yet undernourished and exclude small neonates not at risk."
The article details are the following:
- Title: "Is body fat percentage a better measure of undernutrition in newborns than birth weight percentiles?"
- Authors: Angela E. Carberry, Camille H. Raynes-Greenow, Robin M. Turner, Lisa M. Askie and Heather E. Jeffery - Newborn Care, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia
- Published in:Pediatr Res. 2013 Sep 3
The article can be seen at the following link: click here
- Tags: adp, air displacement plethysmography, birth weight percentiles, body composition, body fat, body fat percentage, cosmed, fat free mass, fat mass, infants, life measurements, neonatal morbidity, neonatology, newborn, obgyn, pea pod, pediatric research, preterm, undernourished neonates, undernutrition in newborn