Relation between body composition at birth and child development at 2 years of age: a prospective cohort study among Ethiopian children

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  • Mubarek Abera
  • Markos Tesfaye
  • Tsinuel Girma
  • Charlotte Hanlon
  • Gregers Stig Andersen
  • Jonathan C Wells
  • Bitiya Admassu
  • Rasmus Wibæk Christensen
  • Friis, Henrik
  • Pernille Kæstel

Background/Objectives: Birth weight (BW), independent of socioeconomic status, has been identified as a predictor for childhood cognitive development. However, it is not known whether this relation is related to low BW per se or particularly related to a deficit in fat mass (FM) or fat-free mass (FFM) at birth. This study therefore aimed at investigating the relation between body composition at birth and child development at 2 years of age.

Subjects/Methods: An Ethiopian birth cohort was followed up at 2 years. Body composition was measured within 48 h of birth using infant air-displacement plethysmography. Child development was assessed at 2 years of age using Denver developmental screening test. Associations between body composition at birth and development at 2 years of age were tested using linear regression analysis.

Results: FFM but not FM at birth was positively associated with higher global developmental score at 2 years of age (β=2.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17; 4.79) adjusted for neonatal, postnatal and parental characteristics. This association was attributable to the association with the language developmental domain (β=1.61, 95 CI 0.33; 2.90).

Conclusions: Among Ethiopian children, FFM at birth but not FM predicted better global and language development at 2 years of age. Higher FFM at birth might have exerted a positive effect on the growth and differentiation of the brain and neuronal circuits for better development. This study therefore highlights the need to improve mother's nutritional status during pregnancy in ways that stimulate fetal FFM growth.European Journal of Clinical Nutrition advance online publication, 27 September 2017; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2017.129.

Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Volume71
Issue number12
Pages (from-to)1411-1417
Number of pages7
ISSN0954-3007
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

    Research areas

  • Developmental biology, Risk factors

ID: 184065502