Abstract
Total body impedance (EMME or TOBEC instrument) has been introduced as a rapid, noninvasive device for the determination of fat-free mass (FFM) (J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 3:199, 1984). The instrument operates on the principle that organisms placed in an electromagnetic field perturb it to a degree that depends upon the amount and volume of distribution of electrolytes. The body composition of infants was studied by this method. Compositional changes occur during growth; therefore an infant animal standard using this method was required. (The infant miniature pig was selected, because its size and composition approximate those of the human infant.) Fifteen infants (age, 2 d to 13 mo; wt, 2 to 9 kg) were analyzed by the impedance method. Total body water (TBW) was determined by the isotope dilution technique using deuterated water. There was a good linear correlation between TBW and the ln of the impedance signal (r = .954). FFM of the infants was calculated by TBW (FFM = TBW/.82) and by the impedance method using a standard previously derived from mature rabbits. TBW appeared to overestimate FFM which was greater than total body wt in 4 of 15 infants. FFM by the impedance method ranged from 54 to 91% of total body wt. Five pigs (wt, 2.3 to 4.7 kg) have been studied by impedance and chemical analysis. There was good linear correlation between the ln of the impedance signal and TBW by desiccation (r = .995).
Conclusions: 1) an infant miniature pig growth standard is expected to improve the predictive accuracy of the impedance method, and 2) the impedance method is highly suitable for use with human infants and determines body composition more accurately than other available methods.
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Cochran, W., Klish, W., Wong, W. et al. 631 THE USE OF TOTAL BODY IMPEDANCE TO DETERMINE BODY COMPOSITION IN INFANTS. Pediatr Res 19, 216 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00661
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00661