Abstract
BACKGROUND
Low birth weight is associated with childhood stunting, but equivalent associations for birth body composition (BC) remain unknown. The aim of this study was to assess associations between birth BC and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) at 2 years of age.
METHODS
In a prospective cohort study, fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were measured using air-displacement plethysmography within 48 h of birth. Linear regression models were applied to study the relationship between BC at birth and HAZ at 24 ±3 months.
RESULTS
A total of 268 children with height assessment at 2 years were included. Mean±SD HAZ at 2 years of age was −1.2±1.2, with 25.8% classified as stunted (HAZ <−2SD). FFM at birth was positively associated with HAZ at 2 years, independent of length at birth. When adjusted for potential confounders, HAZ at 2 years was 0.73 higher for each additional kg FFM at birth (β=0.73, 95% CI: 0.08, 1.38). FM was not associated with HAZ at 2 years in any model.
CONCLUSION
The FFM component of birth weight, independent of length at birth, explained variability in HAZ at 2 years. Further studies are required to explore how changes in early infant BC are associated with linear growth.
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Acknowledgements
We sincerely thank the supervisors, research nurses and respondents, and Jimma University Specialized Hospital. We would like to thank Jimma University for giving us permission to conduct the study and publish the result.
Author contributions
The authors’ responsibilities were as follows—BA, HF, JCKW, TG, GSA and PK designed the study; BA, GSA, PK, MA and RW supervised the data collection; BA. analyzed the data and drafted the manuscript, and had primary responsibility for the final content of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the manuscript revisions and read the final manuscript and approved for submission.
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Danish Council for Strategic Research—Programme Commission on Food and Health; Danida through the Consultative Research Committee for Development Research (104.Dan.8-1207).
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Admassu, B., Wells, J., Girma, T. et al. Body composition at birth and height at 2 years: a prospective cohort study among children in Jimma, Ethiopia. Pediatr Res 82, 209–214 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2017.59
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2017.59
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