title: Significant decrease of subcutaneous body fat during tube-weaning from enteral feeding.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this paper was to evaluate anthropometry and subcutaneous body fat on long-term enterally-fed children during tube weaning through a prospective cohort study with a pre-post-test design.
  
  
  METHODS
  The LIPOMETER, an optical device, was used to measure the thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) layers (in mm). The specification of 15 evenly-distributed body sites allows for a precise measurement of subcutaneous body fat distribution, known as subcutaneous adipose tissue topography (SAT-Top). Anthropometry and SAT-Top were determined in long-term enterally fed children in the pre- and post-tube weaning phase of a 3-week tube weaning program. The results of the SAT-Top measurements are presented on three levels: 15 body sites, four body regions and SAT-total.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample size consisted of 30 long-term tube-fed children (13 girls and 17 boys). Both sexes demonstrated a clear decrease of anthropometry and subcutaneous body fat during tube weaning. Girls lost -26.1 mm, -30.7%, (P=0.002) of their initial fat mass and boys -12.5 mm, -18.4%, (P<0.001). In general, girls had thicker SAT layers in all SAT-Top measurements and a higher reduction of subcutaneous body fat during the intervention. At the end of the tube weaning program girls and boys demonstrated similar results of subcutaneous body fat on the three observed levels: 15 body sites, four body regions and SAT-total. Upon discharge, total subcutaneous body fat of girls and boys was 58.9 mm and 55.5 mm, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study presents a basic documentation of changes in anthropometry and subcutaneous body fat during tube weaning and could potentially be used to help create guidelines for safe tube weaning.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria - erwin.tafeit@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Petra S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Kaimbacher
authors.forename: Sandra J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wallner-Liebmann
authors.forename: Marguerite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dunitz-Scheer
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Zwi Scheer
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cvirn
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schrabmair
authors.forename: Joachin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greilberger
authors.forename: Wolfang J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Schnedl
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tafeit
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D020878:Device Removal; D004435:Eating; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000378:metabolism*