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Racial differences in growth rates and body composition of infants born preterm

Journal of Perinatology volume 42, pages 385–388 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate racial disparities in weight gain velocity and body composition among preterm infants.

Study design

This observational study analyzed race differences in fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), percent body fat (%BF), and weight gain at discharge of infants born at 25–32 weeks of gestation.

Results

No racial differences in FFM, FM and %BF measurements were found between black and white preterm infants after adjusting for birth weight, gestational age, and the presence/absence of breastfeeding (n = 143). Black infants born preterm had lower birthweights and higher weight gain from birth to discharge in unadjusted and adjusted models (13 ± 3 vs. 11 ± 3 g/kg/day; <0.001).

Conclusion

Black infants had higher weight gain from birth to discharge, but comparable body composition measurements at discharge. More research is needed to understand contributing factors and long-term implications of this finding.

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Funding

This study was supported in part by a research award from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) through the UAB Health Disparities & Obesity Research Center (2U54MD000502), a research award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases through the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (P30DK056336), and a research award from the Kaul Pediatric Research Institute at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama. MJ is currently supported by the UAB NORC T32 program. AAS is currently supported by a research grant from the “Eunice Kennedy Shriver” National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K23HD102554). The funder/sponsor did not participate in the work. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Maggie Jerome & Paula Chandler-Laney

  2. Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Olivia Affuso

  3. School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Peng Li

  4. Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Ariel A. Salas

Authors
  1. Maggie Jerome
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  2. Paula Chandler-Laney
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  3. Olivia Affuso
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  4. Peng Li
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  5. Ariel A. Salas
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Contributions

MJ collected data, carried out the initial analyses, drafted the initial manuscript, and reviewed and revised the manuscript. PC-L conceptualized and designed the study, and reviewed and revised the manuscript. OA critically reviewed the manuscript for important intellectual content. AAS conceptualized and designed the study, coordinated and supervised data collection, and critically reviewed the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ariel A. Salas.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

MJ, PC-L, and OA have no conflicts of interest to disclose. PC-L and AAS have filed a patent application for an instrumented feeding bottle. AAS has received honoraria from the Lockwood Group for participation in advisory board meetings.

Ethical approval

The UAB Institutional Review Board approved the individual study protocols and the study protocol for this secondary analysis. The study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Jerome, M., Chandler-Laney, P., Affuso, O. et al. Racial differences in growth rates and body composition of infants born preterm. J Perinatol 42, 385–388 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-021-01305-1

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