Birth weight is associated with cardiovascular disease, with those at both ends of the\nspectrum at increased risk. However, birth weight is a crude surrogate of fetal growth. Measures of\nbody composition may more accurately identify high risk infants. We aimed to determine whether\naortic wall thickening, cardiac autonomic control, and cardiac structure/function differ in newborns\nwith high or low body fatness compared to those with average body fatness. 189 healthy singleton\nterm born neonates were recruited and stratified by body fat percentiles (sex and gestation-specific).\nInfants with low body fat had higher aortic intima-media thickness (43..(95% confidence interval\n(CI) 7, 78),p = 0.02), lower heart rate variability (log total power, ........... and thicker ventricular walls (posterior wall thickness, 3.1 mm (95% CI 1.6, 4.6), p < 0.001) compared\nto infants with average body fatness. Infants with high body fat showed no differences in aortic\nintima-media thickness (.......), ......). The non-linear\nassociation of body fatness with heart rate variability was independent of birth weight. Infants born\nwith low or high body fat have altered markers of cardiovascular health. Assessment of body fatness\nalongside birth weight may assist in identifying high risk individuals.
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