Measurement of body composition by deuterium oxide dilution technique and development of a predictive equation for body fat mass among severe neurologically impaired children

Wirada Sakamornchai; Oraporn Dumrongwongsiri; Jeeraparn Phosuwattanakul; Sirinapa Siwarom

doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1162956

Measurement of body composition by deuterium oxide dilution technique and development of a predictive equation for body fat mass among severe neurologically impaired children

Front Nutr. 2023 Oct 18:10:1162956. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1162956. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Wirada Sakamornchai^{1

2}, Oraporn Dumrongwongsiri¹, Jeeraparn Phosuwattanakul¹, Sirinapa Siwarom¹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
² Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Abstract

Introduction: Neurologically impaired (NI) children are at risk of malnutrition, which consequently impacts their health and quality of life. Accurate nutrition assessment is an important step in guiding appropriate nutrition support. Conventional anthropometric measurements among NI children have some limitations. Determining body composition requires more complex equipment, which is not routinely performed. This study was conducted to evaluate the association between anthropometric parameters and body composition assessed using the deuterium dilution technique (DDT) in NI children.

Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled severe NI children aged 1-20 years who received home enteral nutrition for at least 3 months. Weight, length, and 4-site skinfold thickness were measured. Body composition was determined using DDT following the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) protocol.

Results: A total of 37 NI children (56.76% male, median age 7.2 years) were enrolled. The prevalence of underweight, stunting, and overweight were 22, 38, and 35%, respectively. Body composition analysis showed the mean (SD) of total body water (TBW) and fat mass (FM) were 10.52 (4.51) kg and 9.51 (6.04) kg, respectively. Multivariate GLM analysis showed that the factors associated with FM were age (β = 0.07 [0.05,0.08]; p < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.82 [0.52, 1.12]; p < 0.001), biceps skinfold thickness (BSF) (β = 0.49 [0.23,0.75]; p = 0.001), and subscapular skinfold thickness (SSF) (β = -0.24 [-0.46,0.03]; p = 0.030). A predictive equation for FM was constructed.

Conclusion: A high prevalence of malnutrition was found among severe NI children despite enteral nutrition support. Our findings showed that age, BMI, BSF, and SSF were associated with FM. The predictive equation of FM was proposed and needed to be further validated and applied to clinical practice.

Keywords: anthropometric measurement; body composition; deuterium oxide dilution technique; home enteral feeding; neurologically impaired children.

Grants and funding

This study was financially supported by research funding from the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University.