Body composition from birth to 2 years in term healthy Indian infants measured by deuterium dilution: Effect of being born small for gestational age and early catch-up growth

South Asian body composition is characterized by higher body fat at any given BMI. While this does not occur during fetal growth, it is important to understand if inappropriate fat accretion then begins in the first 2 years in Indian infants.The fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) of healthy term newborns was evaluated at 12 days, 3.5 months, 1 year, and 2 years, by deuterium oxide (DNewborns (262 total, 150 males) with mean birth weight of 2863 ± 418 g were enrolled. FM percentage (FM%) assessed by DThere was an upward inflection in the curve of FM% and FMI between 1 and 2 years of age in the present study, which may represent an early adiposity rebound. Further longitudinal body composition data for Indian infants as well as those of other ethnicities but with low birth weight will clarify whether early accelerated growth pattern contributes to greater accrual of fat rather than lean mass during childhood.