ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Pediatrica 2016 February;68(1):40-50

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Significant decrease of subcutaneous body fat during tube-weaning from enteral feeding

Petra S. KAIMBACHER ¹, Sandra J. WALLNER-LIEBMANN ², Marguerite DUNITZ-SCHEER ¹, Peter J. ZWI SCHEER ¹, Gerhard CVIRN ³, Walter SCHRABMAIR ³, Joachin GREILBERGER ³, Wolfang J. SCHNEDL ⁴, Erwin TAFEIT ³ ✉

¹ Division of General Pediatrics Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; ² Institute of Pathophysiology Center for Molecular Medicine Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; ³ Institute of Physiological Chemistry Center for Physiological Medicine Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; ⁴ Practice for General Internal Medicine, Bruck/Mur, Austria

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper was to evaluate anthropometry and subcutaneous body fat on long-term enterally-fed children during tube weaning through a prospective cohort study with a pre-post-test design.
METHODS: The LIPOMETER, an optical device, was used to measure the thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) layers (in mm). The specification of 15 evenly-distributed body sites allows for a precise measurement of subcutaneous body fat distribution, known as subcutaneous adipose tissue topography (SAT-Top). Anthropometry and SAT-Top were determined in long-term enterally fed children in the pre- and post-tube weaning phase of a 3-week tube weaning program. The results of the SAT-Top measurements are presented on three levels: 15 body sites, four body regions and SAT-total.
RESULTS: The sample size consisted of 30 long-term tube-fed children (13 girls and 17 boys). Both sexes demonstrated a clear decrease of anthropometry and subcutaneous body fat during tube weaning. Girls lost -26.1 mm, -30.7%, (P=0.002) of their initial fat mass and boys -12.5 mm, -18.4%, (P<0.001). In general, girls had thicker SAT layers in all SAT-Top measurements and a higher reduction of subcutaneous body fat during the intervention. At the end of the tube weaning program girls and boys demonstrated similar results of subcutaneous body fat on the three observed levels: 15 body sites, four body regions and SAT-total. Upon discharge, total subcutaneous body fat of girls and boys was 58.9 mm and 55.5 mm, respectively.
CONCLUSION: This study presents a basic documentation of changes in anthropometry and subcutaneous body fat during tube weaning and could potentially be used to help create guidelines for safe tube weaning.