Caloric compensation in infants: developmental changes around the age of 1 year and associations with anthropometric measurements up to 2 years.
BACKGROUND
Previous results based on dietary recall suggest that the ability to adjust eaten quantities to food energy density (ED) may deteriorate around the age of 1 y. However, this hypothesis has not been investigated experimentally.


OBJECTIVES
The first aim of the study was to describe changes in the short-term caloric compensation ability of infants around the age of 1 y. We expected a decrease in this ability with age. The second aim was to identify individual factors [e.g., breastfeeding duration, body mass index (BMI) z-score, and change in BMI z-score] related to interindividual variations in caloric compensation ability.


METHODS
We adapted the preload paradigm to calculate a COMPX score. The measure was performed in the laboratory at 11 and 15 mo. The parent offered a food preload that was either low or high in ED (LED = 33 kcal/100 g or HED = 97.9 kcal/100 g, respectively), followed by an ad libitum meal after 25 min. The infants were measured and weighed. Information about the infants' milk-feeding history was collected.


RESULTS
We obtained COMPX scores at 11 and 15 mo for 31 infants (12 females). As hypothesized, the caloric compensation ability significantly decreased with age (COMPX11 = 52% ± 133%; COMPX15 = -14% ± 151%; P = 0.03). The more the COMPX score decreased, the more the BMI z-score between 11 and 15 mo increased (P = 0.03) and the higher the BMI z-score was at 2 y (P = 0.03). No associations were found between COMPX scores and breastfeeding duration (all P > 0.60).


CONCLUSIONS
Caloric compensation ability decreases between 11 and 15 mo. This decrease is associated with a larger increase in weight status from 11 to 15 mo and a higher weight status at 2 y. This study calls for further research to better understand the early determinants of caloric compensation ability. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03409042 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03409042).
['Brugaillères|Pauline|P|', 'Issanchou|Sylvie|S|', 'Nicklaus|Sophie|S|', 'Chabanet|Claire|C|', 'Schwartz|Camille|C|']
D000367:Age Factors D001066:Appetite D001069:Appetite Regulation D015992:Body Mass Index D001835:Body Weight D001942:Breast Feeding D002657:Child Development D015930:Diet Records D004435:Eating D002149:Energy Intake D005247:Feeding Behavior D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007223:Infant D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena D008297:Male D062407:Meals D009765:Obesity
BMI z-score appetite control eating behavior energy compensation food intake longitudinal study