Abstract
Body composition (BC) was estimated in 19 premature infants by measuring total body water (TBW) and extracellular fluid (ECF) using antipyrine and bromide. In 16 infants, measurements of nitrogen (N) balance were also made weekly. The diet was mother's milk (EBM), 8 cases, formula (F), 2 cases, and mixed EBM and F, 6 cases. In 13 cases, initial water measurements were made at a mean age of 19 days (weight (WT) 1226 +/- 254g) and finally at a mean age of 52 days (WT 2023 +/- 238g). In 6 cases only one measurement was made.
This was good correlation of weight with TBW (r=0.97) and ECF (r=0.94) with analysis yielding the equation TBW=43.73+ 0.742WT. There was a trend to more water retention with F feeding but small sample size precluded analysis. The mean protein (P) accretion was 11.82 +/- 3.17%. In cases with 2 water measurements, fat retention was estimated as follows: Fat-Dryweight-P retained. Mean fat retention was 11.41% +/−9.4%. In these 'complete' cases there was a mean WT gain of 874g, of which 86.8% (671g) was water, 11.41% (100g) was fat, and 11.7% (103g) was P.
These estimates of nutrient retention are less than those made by others but are derived by more direct methods. This research underscores the need to perform direct BC measurements in growth studies.
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Spady, D., Schiff, D. & Chan, G. CHANGES IN BODY COMPOSITION IN GROWING LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 213 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00720
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00720