title: Sonographic assessment of abdominal fat distribution during the first year of infancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Longitudinal data regarding the fat distribution in the early postnatal period is sparse.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed ultrasonography (US) as a noninvasive approach to investigate the development of abdominal subcutaneous (SC) and preperitoneal (PP) fat depots in infants ≤1 y and compared longitudinal US data with skinfold thickness (SFT) measurements and anthropometry in 162 healthy children at 6 wk, 4 mo, and 1 y postpartum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  US was found to be a reproducible method for the quantification of abdominal SC and PP adipose tissue (AT) in this age group. Thickness of SC fat layers significantly increased from 6 wk to 4 mo and decreased at 1 y postpartum, whereas PP fat layers continuously increased. Girls had a significantly higher SC fat mass compared to boys, while there was no sex-specific difference in PP fat thickness. SC fat layer was strongly correlated with SFT measurements, while PP fat tissue was only weakly correlated with anthropometric measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  US is a feasible and reproducible method for the quantification of abdominal fat mass in infants ≤1 y of age. PP and SC fat depots develop differentially during the first year of life.
authors.affiliation: Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brei
authors.affiliation: Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Much
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heimberg
authors.affiliation: Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schulte
authors.affiliation: Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.affiliation: Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stecher
authors.affiliation: Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vollhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan S
authors.identifier: 0000000275570003
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Amann-Gassner
authors.affiliation: 1] Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany [2] ZIEL - Research Center for Nutrition and Food Science, Nutritional Medicine Unit, Technische Universität and München, Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hauner
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014481:United States