Neonatal Malnutrition Diagnoses Align Differently With Body Composition Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis Evaluating 3 Different Growth Standards

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2026 Open access

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Authors: Louise Perna, Kera McNelis, Jacqueline Wessel, Stephanie Merlino Barr, Chunyan Liu, Shelley Ehrlich, Jae H. Kim, Ting Ting Fu
DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2026.156304
Cited by: 2
References: 44

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Proposed neonatal malnutrition criteria exist for nutritional assessment. Recommendations differ regarding which growth chart to use after premature birth. OBJECTIVE: This study compared malnutrition classification across Fenton, Olsen, and International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21st Century (INTERGROWTH) growth charts; examined their associations with body composition; and evaluated discrepancies in identifying fat-free mass (FFM) deficit and fat mass (FM) excess in preterm infants. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of preterm infants who underwent air displacement plethysmography. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Two hundred eighty-five preterm infants (

Fields of Study & Subjects

Child Nutrition and Water Access Iron Metabolism and Disorders Body Composition Measurement Techniques

Publication details

Journal / source
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
126
Issue
9
Pages
156304–156304
Publication date
3 February 2026
Language
EN