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Subcutaneous fat accumulation in early infancy is more strongly associated with motor development and delay than muscle growth
Author(s) -
Kanazawa H,
Kawai M,
Niwa F,
Hasegawa T,
Iwanaga K,
Ohata K,
Tamaki A,
Heike T
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.12597
Subject(s) - medicine , subcutaneous fat , motor skill , logistic regression , pediatrics , physical medicine and rehabilitation , adipose tissue , psychiatry
Aim Physical growth in neurologically healthy preterm infants affects motor development. This study investigated the separate relationships between muscle and fat in infancy and later motor development and physical growth. Methods Muscle thickness and subcutaneous fat thickness of the anterior thigh were measured using ultrasound images obtained from neurologically healthy preterm infants at birth, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months' corrected age. We also obtained the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory and Alberta Infant Motor Scale scores at 18 months' corrected age to assess motor ability and motor delay. Results Thirty preterm infants completed the study protocol. There was a significant positive correlation between motor ability and increments in subcutaneous fat thickness during the first 3 and 6 months' corrected age (r = 0.48 and 0.40, p < 0.05, respectively), but not between motor ability and muscle thickness growth in any of the periods. A secondary, logistic regression analysis showed that increments in subcutaneous fat thickness during the first 3 months were a protective factor for motor delay. Conclusion Subcutaneous fat accumulation in early infancy is more strongly associated with motor development and delay than muscle growth.