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. 2024 Jan 3;24(1):2.
doi: 10.1186/s12887-023-04479-z.

Ultrasound assessment of malnutrition in infancy: a pilot case-control study

Meng-Fan Tai  1   2 , Ruth Bvalani  3 , Bazwell Nkhalema  4 , Emmie Mbale  3   5 , Karen Chetcuti  3   4   5 , Pui-Ying Iroh Tam  6   7   8   9   10
Affiliations

Ultrasound assessment of malnutrition in infancy: a pilot case-control study

Meng-Fan Tai et al. BMC Pediatr. .

Abstract

This study aimed at determining the intra- and inter-rater reliability in ultrasound body composition measurements and investigating the differences between malnourished and non-malnourished infants. Sonographic images for measurements of fat and muscle thickness were compared between 9 malnourished and 9 non-malnourished hospitalized infants. The mean of fat and muscle thickness sums were 12.44 ± 7.58 mm and 28.98 ± 7.18 mm, respectively. The intra- and inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficient were above 0.9 for both measurements, indicating high intra- and inter-rater reliability. Compared to non-malnourished infants, malnourished infants have 45% of fat thickness sum and 71% of muscle thickness sum. Ultrasound measurements of body composition in infants were different between hospitalized malnourished and non-malnourished infants. This approach has the potential to be utilized more broadly, from assessing the nutritional status of critically ill infants in intensive care units to screening for malnutrition in high-risk infant populations.

Keywords: Infant; Malnutrition; Skeletal muscle; Subcutaneous fat; Ultrasonography.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Modified Bland-Altman plot for (a) the sum of five fat measurements and (b) the sum of four muscle measurements among infants
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Relative measurement difference in (a) fat and (b) muscle thickness at each measurement site (n=54). BB, biceps brachialis; QF, quadriceps femoris; AT, anterior tibialis; RA, rectus abdominis; MA, midline abdomen
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Ultrasound of (A) biceps brachialis; (B) rectus abdominis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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