title: No relative increase in intra-abdominal adipose tissue in healthy unstressed preterm infants at term.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preterm infants may be at risk for altered adiposity, a known risk factor for unfavorable metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to compare body composition (total body fat mass (FM), subcutaneous and intra-abdominal adipose tissue (AT)) between infants born preterm and at term.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study that involved 50 infants born preterm free from major co-morbidities and 34 term healthy breastfed infants. Anthropometric measurements, body composition (total body FM, subcutaneous and intra-abdominal AT) were assessed at 40-42 weeks postconceptional age for preterm infants and within 15 days of birth for term infants. Total body FM was assessed by an air displacement plethysmography system and subcutaneous abdominal and intra-abdominal AT were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging using a commercially available software program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to term infants, mean (SD) total body FM (g) (636.7 (247) vs. 418.4 (253), p < 0.0001) and mean (SD) subcutaneous abdominal AT (g) (123 (36) vs. 98.9 (22), p < 0.001) were significantly higher in preterm infants but mean (SD) fat-free mass (g) (2,530 (420) vs. 2,965 (389), p < 0.0001) and mean (SD) intra-abdominal AT (10.9 (5.2) vs. 18.2 (13.2), p = 0.001) were significantly lower.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the absence of severe illness during the hospital stay, prematurity, although associated with increased total body FM, does not appear to be associated with a relative increase in intra-abdominal AT compared to term infants.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roggero
authors.forename: Maria Lorella
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Giannì
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Forzenigo
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tondolo
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Taroni
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liotto
authors.forename: Pasqua
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piemontese
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biondetti
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosca
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D001823:Body Composition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D007558:Italy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D010991:Plethysmography / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D050507:Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal / Q000473:pathology*; D047929:Term Birth / Q000502:physiology*