Elisabet Katarina Forsum1, Eva Flinke1, Elisabeth Olhager2. 1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. 2. Department of Clinical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Abstract
AIM: Premature birth is a worldwide problem and increases the risk of chronic disease later in life. Prematurely born infants may have a high percentage of body fat at term-equivalent age, but it is unclear if this characteristic is maintained in childhood. Therefore, we compared the size and body composition of four-year-old prematurely born children to such values of full-term controls. METHODS: Between 2013 and 2015, we assessed weight, height, fat mass and fat-free mass, using air displacement plethysmography in 188 reasonably healthy prematurely born four-year-olds (98 boys). RESULTS: At four years of age, prematurely born children (gestational weeks at birth: 23.3-36.9) tended to be lighter and shorter and to contain less fat mass and fat-free mass than did full-term controls. The gestational age at birth of the prematurely born children correlated positively and significantly (P < .05) with height, weight, body mass index, fat mass (kg, %), fat mass index and fat-free mass (kg) in girls but not in boys. CONCLUSION: Prematurity was not associated with increased body fatness in our four-year-olds. Our findings are relevant in relation to previously published results showing that premature birth is associated with chronic disease later in life.
AIM: Premature birth is a worldwide problem and increases the risk of chronic disease later in life. Prematurely born infants may have a high percentage of body fat at term-equivalent age, but it is unclear if this characteristic is maintained in childhood. Therefore, we compared the size and body composition of four-year-old prematurely born children to such values of full-term controls. METHODS: Between 2013 and 2015, we assessed weight, height, fat mass and fat-free mass, using air displacement plethysmography in 188 reasonably healthy prematurely born four-year-olds (98 boys). RESULTS: At four years of age, prematurely born children (gestational weeks at birth: 23.3-36.9) tended to be lighter and shorter and to contain less fat mass and fat-free mass than did full-term controls. The gestational age at birth of the prematurely born children correlated positively and significantly (P < .05) with height, weight, body mass index, fat mass (kg, %), fat mass index and fat-free mass (kg) in girls but not in boys. CONCLUSION: Prematurity was not associated with increased body fatness in our four-year-olds. Our findings are relevant in relation to previously published results showing that premature birth is associated with chronic disease later in life.
Authors: Collynn F Woeller; Sydney A Lim; Elisa Roztocil; Min Yee; Eric E Beier; J Edward Puzas; Michael A O'Reilly Journal: Free Radic Biol Med Date: 2021-03-21 Impact factor: 7.376
Authors: Yulika Yoshida-Montezuma; Erica Stone; Saman Iftikhar; Vanessa De Rubeis; Alessandra T Andreacchi; Charles Keown-Stoneman; Lawrence Mbuagbaw; Hilary K Brown; Russell J de Souza; Laura N Anderson Journal: Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol Date: 2021-11-22 Impact factor: 3.103