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Background: Given the importance of infancy for establishing growth trajectories, with later-life health consequences, we investigated longitudinal body composition among infants from six economically and ethnically diverse countries. Methods: We recruited mother-infant dyads using the WHO Multicenter Growth Reference Study criteria. We measured fat-free mass (FFM) in 1393 (49% female) infants from birth to 6 months of age (Australia, India, and South Africa; n = 468), 3–24 months of age (Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka; n = 925), and derived fat mass (FM), fat mass index (FMI), and fat-free mass index (FFMI). Height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), and weight-for-length (WHZ) Z-scores were computed. Sex differences were assessed using a t-test, and country differences using a one-way analysis of covariance. We further compared subsamples of children with average (−0.25 > HAZ < +0.25), below-average (≤−0.25) and above-average (≥+0.25) HAZ. Results: HAZ performed well between 0 and 6 months, but less so between 3 and 24 months. The stunting prevalence peaked at 10.3% for boys and 7.8% for girls, at 24 months. By 24 months, girls had greater FMI (10%) than boys. There were significant differences in FFM (both sexes in all countries) and FM (Brazilian boys, Pakistani and South African girls) by 24 months of age between infants with average, above-average, and below-average HAZ. Conclusion: In a multi-country sample representing more ideal maternal conditions, body composition was heterogeneous even among infants who exhibited ideal length. Having a mean HAZ close to the median of the WHO standard for length reduced FFM between-country heterogeneity but not FM, suggesting that other factors may influence adiposity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate assessment of body composition during infancy is an important marker of early growth. This study aimed to develop anthropometric models to predict body composition in 3-24-month-old infants from diverse socioeconomic settings and ethnic groups., Methods: An observational, longitudinal, prospective, multi-country study of infants from 3 to 24 months with body composition assessed at three monthly intervals using deuterium dilution (DD) and anthropometry. Linear mixed modelling was utilized to generate sex-specific fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) prediction equations, using length(m), weight-for-length (kg/m), triceps and subscapular skinfolds and South Asian ethnicity as variables. The study sample consisted of 1896 (942 measurements from 310 girls) training data sets, 941 (441 measurements from 154 girls) validation data sets of 3-24 months from Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. The external validation group (test) comprised 349 measurements from 250 (185 from 124 girls) infants 3-6 months of age from South Africa, Australia and India., Results: Sex-specific equations for three age categories (3-9 months; 10-18 months; 19-24 months) were developed, validated on same population and externally validated. Root mean squared error (RMSE) was similar between training, validation and test data for assessment of FM and FFM in boys and in girls. RMSPE and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) were higher in validation compared to test data for predicting FM, however, in the assessment of FFM, both measures were lower in validation data. RMSE for test data from South Africa (M/F-0.46/0.45 kg) showed good agreement with validation data for assessment of FFM compared to Australia (M/F-0.51/0.33 kg) and India(M/F-0.77/0.80 kg)., Conclusions: Anthropometry-based FFM prediction equations provide acceptable results. Assessments based on equations developed on similar populations are more applicable than those developed from a different population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background/objective: Available evidence on infant body composition is limited. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with body composition at 6 and 24 months., Subjects/methods: Multicenter study with data from a 0 to 6-mo cohort (Australia, India and South Africa) and a 3 to 24-mo cohort (Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka). For the 0-6-mo cohort, body composition was assessed by air-displacement plethysmography (ADP) and for the 3-24-month cohort by the deuterium dilution (DD) technique. Fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), FM index (FMI), and FFM index (FFMI) were calculated. Independent variables comprised the Gini index of the country, maternal and infant characteristics, and breastfeeding pattern at 3 months. For the 3-24-mo cohort, breastfeeding, and minimum dietary diversity (MDD) at 12 months were also included. Crude and adjusted analyses stratified by sex were conducted by multilevel modelling using mixed models., Results: At 6 months, every 1 kg increase in birth weight was associated with an increase of 0.716 kg in FFM and 0.582 kg/m 2 in FFMI in girls, whereas in boys, the increase was of 0.277 kg in FFM. At 24 months, compared to those weaned before 12 months, girls still breastfed at 12 months presented a decrease of 0.225 kg in FM, 0.645 kg in FFM and 0.459 kg/m 2 in FFMI, and in boys the decreases were of 0.467 kg in FM, 0.603 kg in FFM and 0.628 kg/m 2 in FFMI., Conclusion: Birth weight and breastfeeding are independent predictors of body composition in early life, irrespective of sex., (© 2023. The Author(s).)