Introduction & Objective: Neonatal body composition may predict metabolic health over the lifespan better than birth weight (BW) alone. While lean body mass (LBM) correlates highly with BW, variation in neonatal adiposity is greater. To determine whether the conventional assignment of small, appropriate, and large for gestational age (SGA/AGA/LGA) at birth adequately characterizes neonatal adiposity.
Methods: Data were from a secondary analysis of a study of maternal metabolic differences in a cohort of term deliveries at a single academic center. Neonatal measurements and body composition analyses were performed within 72 hours using air-displacement plethysmograph (PEA POD). Anomalous newborns were excluded. Primary outcomes included body fat percentage (BF), fat mass (FM) and LBM. BW percentiles were determined using Fenton growth calculator and newborns were categorized into SGA (<10%), AGA (10-90%) and LGA (>90%).
Results: A total of 332 neonates were analyzed. The maternal cohort was 48% NHW, 39% NHB, 12% H, and 1% AAPI. Maternal characteristics were similar across BW categories except for smoking status. There were significant overlaps in measurements of adiposity between SGA and AGA, and between LGA and AGA.
Conclusion: In this diverse cohort BW category did not reliably distinguish underlying differences in neonatal adiposity. Body composition offers a novel tool to identify newborns at risk for adverse health outcomes.
A. Azimirad: None. D. Lekshmi: None. A.C. Spadola: None. P. Catalano: None.
