Associations between anthropometric indicators in early life and low-grade inflammation,insulin resistance and lipid profile in adolescence

Background and aimsThe long-term relations between excessive adiposity in early childhood and unfavourable cardiometabolic profiles in later ages are not yet completely understood. We aimed to assess the associations between birth weight (BW) and BMI from 6 months to 6 years of age, with biomarkers indicative of low-grade inflammation, insulin resistance and lipid profiles in adolescence.Methods and resultsRetrospective school-based study with 415 Portuguese adolescents (220 girls), mean age of 14.08 ± 1.6 years old. Anthropometric data from birth to 6 years old was extracted from individual child health book records. Actual weight and height were measured and BMI calculated. Participants were classified at each time point as normal weight or overweight according to WHO reference values. Biomarkers were obtained from venous blood samples. Linear regressions were used to explore the associations between the biomarkers and early life anthropometric indicators. From 2 years onwards, BMI associated positively with the inflammatory score and HOMA-IR in adolescence. Children who were overweight/obese from 2 to 6 years of age presented significantly higher inflammatory score and HOMA-IR later in adolescence. TC/HDL ratio was also positively associated with BMI from the age of 5 years onwards. The associations between BMI and cardiometabolic outcomes remained positive in adolescence, with overweight adolescents presenting a higher inflammatory score, HOMA-IR and TC/HDL than normal weight adolescents.ConclusionA high BMI from an early age was consistently associated with worse inflammatory and lipid profiles and insulin resistance in adolescence. No associations were found between BW and the same studied outcomes.     

Stature estimation for Saudi men based on different combinations of upper limb part dimensions

Estimating stature based on body/limb parts can help define the characteristics of unidentified bodies. The most studied upper limb part is the hand, although few studies have examined whether stature can be estimated using fingers plus other hand dimensions. Moreover, there is paucity in anthropometric studies that determined whether bilateral whole limb parts (e.g., arms, forearms, and hands) are related to stature among the living subjects.This prospective cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the relationship between different upper limb measurements and the stature of Saudi men. Furthermore, I assessed whether upper limb asymmetry was present, and developed regression models to estimate stature based on different available measurements. Stature and 13 upper limb parameters were measured for 100 right-handed Saudi men who were 18 to 24 years old.All measurements were positively correlated with stature (P < .001), and the best single predictor was the bilateral ulnar length. Asymmetry was more pronounced in the hand measurements. A multiparameter model provided reasonable predictive accuracy (±3.77–5.68 cm) and was more accurate than single-parameter models. Inclusion of the right-side fingers improved the model''s accuracy.This study developed potential models for estimating stature during the identification of bodies of Saudi men.     

Nutritional Status of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Do We Know Enough?

The incidence of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is on the rise; therefore, well-timed screening is important. Given that this is a nutritionally vulnerable population, it is imperative to conduct a detailed nutritional assessment so that timely and intensive interventions can be recommended. This review article summarizes the research, focusing on the nutritional status of individuals with ASDs based on their anthropometric measurements, biomarkers, and dietary assessments. Research examining anthropometric measurements reveals an abnormally accelerated rate of growth among children with autism but shows inconsistent findings on the prevalence of overweight/obesity in comparison with typically growing children. Although dysregulated amino acid metabolism, increased homocysteine, and decreased folate, vitamins B-6 and B-12, and vitamin D concentrations have been proposed as possible biomarkers for an early diagnosis of ASDs, research investigating their association with age, gender, severity, and other comorbid psychiatric/nonpsychiatric disorders is lacking. There is consensus that children with autism have selective eating patterns, food neophobia, limited food repertoire, and sensory issues. Although inadequate micronutrient but adequate macronutrient intakes are increasingly reported, there are inconsistent results about the extent and type of nutrient deficiencies. Identification and development of nutritional assessment indicators that serve as early warning signs during routine practice beginning at birth and extending throughout the child’s growth are necessary. With this population aging, there is also a dire need to study the adult population. A more vigorous role by nutrition professionals is warranted because management of potential comorbidities and contributory factors may be particularly problematic.     

激光扫描在面部畸形三维重建及测量中的初步应用

目的开发建立一套面部三维结构重建、测量及诊断分析系统。方法应用系统建立标准石膏立方体试件以及石膏头像三维计算机模型并进行定点、测量,测量值与标准值比较获得系统建模误差以及定点误差范围;2例面部畸形患者进行了面部三维扫描建模,应用系统对患者面部计算机模型进行了定点、线距、角度测量以及初步对称性分析。结果三维计算机模型的建模误差在0.2 mm以内,定点误差在0.5 mm以内。应用本系统可以完成三维计算机模型的定点、线距、角度测量及对称性分析工作,基本能够达到临床要求。结论三维激光扫描技术为颌面部畸形患者面部软组织三维结构重建和非接触式测量提供了一种简便、精确、高效的方法。     

Stereophotogrammetric analysis of labial morphology in a young adult Middle-Eastern population

Introduction

The majority of previous research delineating the morphological characteristics of the orolabial region has been on Caucasian populations, with very minor research on Mediterranean populations, and none on the Lebanese population.

Practical approach for estimation of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue

OBJECTIVES: The first objective was to investigate the correlations between anthropometrical measurements and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in two cohorts differing in age using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as reference. A second objective was to investigate the potential usage of abdominal diameters in practical estimation of adipose tissue compartments using these cohorts. METHODS: Measurements of body mass index, waist circumference, sagittal abdominal diameter (sagittal AD) and transverse abdominal diameter (transverse AD) were obtained from 336 volunteers of age 14-70 years. Manual measurements of VAT and SAT from single slice MRI at the L4-L5 level were used as reference. The abdominal diameters were measured from the MR images. Linear correlations between the anthropometrical measurements and the reference were studied. RESULTS: Sagittal AD showed the strongest correlation to VAT (r >or= 0 x 780, P<0 x 0001) and transverse AD was found to give information about the amount of SAT (r >or= 0 x 866, P<0 x 0001). The ellipse spanned by the sagittal AD and the transverse AD was strongly correlated to the total amount of adipose tissue (r >or= 0 x 962, P<0 x 0001). CONCLUSION: Strong correlations were found between sagittal and transverse abdominal diameters, assessed using MRI, and VAT and SAT, respectively. These results suggest the use of abdominal diameters in practical estimations of VAT and SAT depots.     

Maternal overweight/obesity characteristics and child anthropometric status in Jos,Nigeria

Objective:

This study is to determine the pattern of overweight and obesity and its relationship with childhood anthropometric status in Nigeria.

Materials and Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Jos, Nigeria. Interviewer administered questionnaire was used in data collection. Maternal and child anthropometric measurements were obtained using standard WHO methods. Child anthropometric Z scores were obtained from WHO Anthroplus while BMI of mothers were also determined. Totally, 262 mother-child pairs were recruited.

Results:

Mean maternal age and mean child age were 30.8 ± 6.3 yrs (15-47 yrs) and 22.3 ± 18.7 months (3-72 months). Prevalence of maternal underweight, overweight and obesity was 4.2% (11/262), 29.4% (77/262) and 25.9% (68/262), respectively. Child overweight/obesity was 5.4% (14/262), severe under-nutrition 5.7% (15/262). Mean maternal BMI was higher in the older, more educated and higher socioeconomic status (SES). Child mean birth-weight, weight-for-age Z-score and BMI-for-age Z-score (BAZ) were higher among mothers with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m². All large-for-age babies were in mothers with maternal BMI ≥ 25 kg/m². Childhood over-nutrition was more common in maternal BMI of ≥25 kg/m². Overall, BAZ was directly related with maternal BMI, maternal age and birth-weight, although it was inversely related with maternal BM I ≥ 25 kg/m².

Conclusion:

Higher BMI is seen in educated and higher SES mothers and this impact on childhood anthropometry.     

New Guinea sago gatherers

Records of fertility and infant mortality were collected from the twenty‐five women who had completed their reproductive cycle and who were part of a population living on the Wogamus River in the Upper Sepik region of New Guinea. The mean number of live births was 5.3. Infant and early childhood mortality was 43.2 per cent. Eleven per cent of infants are killed at birth, most of them females born too soon after an older sibling. Both infanticide and post‐partum taboos on sexual intercourse lasting at least two years are explicitly practiced to ensure the adequate nutrition of the older sibling. The pattern of family limitation is related to subsistence on wild food resources, including sago.     

Comprehensive assessment of tibial plateau morphology in total knee arthroplasty: Influence of shape and size on anthropometric variability

Better understanding of proximal tibia morphology can lead to improvements in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) through development of tibial tray families that adequately reflect the diversity of global anatomy using an appropriate number of components. We quantified variations in proximal tibial morphology at the TKA level and characterized differences attributable to gender and ethnicity. Virtual TKA was performed on digital models of 347 tibiae, spanning both genders and multiple ethnicities. The geometry of the resection profile was quantified using both a comprehensive set of morphological measurements (reflecting size and shape) and principal component analysis (PCA). The dominant statistical modes of variation were associated primarily with size (plateau dimensions, radii, and area), with lesser contributions associated with asymmetry and aspect ratios. Medial and lateral AP dimensions were strongly correlated with plateau ML width, with minimal differences in correlations due to gender or ethnicity. In conclusion, clinically relevant differences in proximal tibia morphology at the level of TKA resections across genders and multiple ethnicities can be attributed largely to variations in overall proximal tibial size, not gender‐ or ethnic‐specific shape variations. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31:1643–1652, 2013