Predictors of Infant Body Composition at 5 Months of Age: The Healthy Start Study.
To examine associations of demographic, perinatal, and infant feeding characteristics with offspring body composition at approximately 5 months of age.



We collected data on 640 mother/offspring pairs from early pregnancy through approximately 5 months of age. We assessed offspring body composition with air displacement plethysmography at birth and approximately 5 months of age. Linear regression analyses examined associations between predictors and fat-free mass, fat mass, and percent fat mass (adiposity) at approximately 5 months. Secondary models further adjusted for body composition at birth and rapid infant growth.



Greater prepregnant body mass index and gestational weight gain were associated with greater fat-free mass at approximately 5 months of age, but not after adjustment for fat-free mass at birth. Greater gestational weight gain was also associated with greater fat mass at approximately 5 months of age, independent of fat mass at birth and rapid infant growth, although this did not translate into increased adiposity. Greater percent time of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with lower fat-free mass (-311 g; P < .001), greater fat mass (+224 g; P < .001), and greater adiposity (+3.51%; P < .001). Compared with offspring of non-Hispanic white mothers, offspring of Hispanic mothers had greater adiposity (+2.72%; P < .001) and offspring of non-Hispanic black mothers had lower adiposity (-1.93%; P < .001). Greater adiposity at birth predicted greater adiposity at approximately 5 months of age, independent of infant feeding and rapid infant growth.



There are clear differences in infant body composition by demographic, perinatal, and infant feeding characteristics, although our data also show that increased adiposity at birth persists through approximately 5 months of age. Our findings warrant further research into implications of differences in infant body composition.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO. Electronic address: katherine.sauder@ucdenver.edu.
Katherine A
KA
Sauder
Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.
Jill L
JL
Kaar
Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO.
Anne P
AP
Starling
Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO.
Brandy M
BM
Ringham
Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO.
Deborah H
DH
Glueck
Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO; Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO.
Dana
D
Dabelea
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D000068097:Maternal Health; D010991:Plethysmography / Q000379:methods; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
body composition; breastfeeding; ethnicity; maternal obesity; race