title: Distribution of bioelectrical impedance vector values in multi-ethnic infants and pre-school children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ethnicity may influence bioimpedance values. The goal of this study was to measure total body impedance vector in infants and pre-school children in Brazil and compare them with those reported in other countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed bioelectrical impedance from a sample of 255 healthy Brazilian children, aged 1-36 months, using the RXc graph method (tetrapolar analysis at 50 kHz frequency). The 95%, 75% and 50% tolerance ellipses were plotted by age group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean impedance vector showed migration across age groups, with progressive higher reactances and lower resistances as age increased. The mean bioimpedance vectors from the present sample of Brazilian children were different from those of European children of the same age ranges.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results confirm the importance of defining reference values of total body impedance vector for each country in view of the considerable ethnic diversity among different geographical areas.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Pediatrics Department, Fernandes Figueira Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. robertaftanabe@gmail.com
authors.forename: Roberta Falcão
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Zina Maria Almeida
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: de Azevedo
authors.forename: Vania Matos
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Maria Virginia Marques
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Peixoto
authors.forename: Luiz Antonio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: dos Anjos
authors.forename: Maria Ignez Capella
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Gaspar-Elsas
authors.forename: Daniella Campelo Batalha Cox
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Eloane Gonçalves
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Ramos
mesh_terms: D001823:Body Composition; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D001938:Brazil; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D044465:White People