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Comparison of measured sleeping metabolic rate and predicted basal metabolic rate during the first year of life: evidence of a bias changing with increasing metabolic rate

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 56, pages 650–655 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To compare measurements of sleeping metabolic rate (SMR) in infancy with predicted basal metabolic rate (BMR) estimated by the equations of Schofield.

Methods: Some 104 serial measurements of SMR by indirect calorimetry were performed in 43 healthy infants at 1.5, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age. Predicted BMR was calculated using the weight only (BMR-wo) and weight and height (BMR-wh) equations of Schofield for 0–3-y-olds. Measured SMR values were compared with both predictive values by means of the Bland–Altman statistical test.

Results: The mean measured SMR was 1.48 MJ/day. The mean predicted BMR values were 1.66 and 1.47 MJ/day for the weight only and weight and height equations, respectively. The Bland–Altman analysis showed that BMR-wo equation on average overestimated SMR by 0.18 MJ/day (11%) and the BMR-wh equation underestimated SMR by 0.01 MJ/day (1%). However the 95% limits of agreement were wide: −0.64 to +0.28 MJ/day (28%) for the former equation and −0.39 to +0.41 MJ/day (27%) for the latter equation. Moreover there was a significant correlation between the mean of the measured and predicted metabolic rate and the difference between them.

Conclusions: The wide variation seen in the difference between measured and predicted metabolic rate and the bias probably with age indicates there is a need to measure actual metabolic rate for individual clinical care in this age group.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the families and infants who so generously volunteered their time for this research study and Lisa Atkin of the CNRC and the nursing staff at the Royal Women's hospital who helped CR during recruitment. This study was supported by grant no. 990555 from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

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Author notes

  1. PSW Davies: Guarantor: PSW Davies.

  2. CA Reichman, RW Shepherd, O Trocki, GJ Cleghorn and PSW Davies: Contributors: CR wrote the paper, interpreted the results, performed statistical analysis, maintained the database, performed all anthropometry and metabolic rate measurements, recruited and maintained the cohort; RS initiated the study, designed the study, acquired funding; OT supervised initial stages of study; GC supervised final stages of study; PD supervised writing of the paper and interpretation of results. All contributors edited the final draft of the paper.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Children's Nutrition Research Centre, University of Queensland, Royal Children's Hospital, Herston, Queensland, Australia

    CA Reichman, O Trocki, GJ Cleghorn & PSW Davies

  2. Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA

    RW Shepherd

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  1. CA Reichman
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  4. GJ Cleghorn
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Correspondence to PSW Davies.

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Reichman, C., Shepherd, R., Trocki, O. et al. Comparison of measured sleeping metabolic rate and predicted basal metabolic rate during the first year of life: evidence of a bias changing with increasing metabolic rate. Eur J Clin Nutr 56, 650–655 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601372

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