Dietary supplementation of rural Gambian women during pregnancy does not affect body composition in offspring at 11-17 years of age.

ABSTRACT: Fetal nutrition is thought to be an important determinant of later disease risk, although evidence from randomized-controlled trials in humans is lacking. We followed children born during a protein-energy supplementation trial to investigate to what extent this maternal supplement, which improved birth weight, influenced offspring body composition in adolescence. Subjects were 1270 Gambian children (659 boys, 611 girls) aged 11-17 y whose mothers had participated in the original cluster-randomized trial and had received the supplement during pregnancy (intervention) or postpartum (control). Basic anthropometry was measured using standard techniques and fatness was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis and population-specific prediction equations. For boys, mean body fat was 12.6% fo

SUBMITTER: Hawkesworth S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2635503 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature