Studies on the Estimation of Maternal Body Composition by Means of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis and the Usefulness of Total Body Water/Total Body Fat Value as a Parameter for Diagnosis of Gestational Edema
✍ Scribed by Yasuo Ueda; Motoyoshi Maruo; Yoshihiko Ashitaka
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2002
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 36 KB
- Volume
- 28
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1341-8076
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the application of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to the estimation of body composition of pregnant women especially applied to the accurate diagnosis of gestational edema.
Methods: The subjects were 361 pregnant women, divided into 7 groups according to their constitution in the non‐pregnant state and the existence of gestational edema. The impedance between both legs was measured by mono‐frequency impedance analyzer (TBF‐401 Tanita), and total body fat (TBF), total body water (TBW) and TBW/TBF ratios were calculated from the impedance values obtained with or without compensation by fetal component weight (the sum of fetal, placental and amniotic fluid weight) obtained from the literature or those measured after labor except for amniotic fluid.
Results: The impedance values of the pregnant women gradually decreased as pregnancy progressed in normal cases, but there was a more remarkable decrease in the cases of gestational edema. The TBF values calculated with compensation by fetal component weight not only closely coincided with those reported by Hytten but also agreed well with the values estimated at 4 days postpartum except for the overweight group with gestational edema. In normal pregnancy, both TBW and TBF gradually increased during pregnancy, but TBW noticeably increased in the cases of gestational edema accompanied with a converse reduction in TBF. Consequently TBW/TBF ratios noticeably increased in late pregnancy in gestational edema. All pregnant women were classified into 3 types according to their changing TBW/TBF patterns during pregnancy. Gestational edema was observed at 94% (33/35) frequency in the increased‐type group but at only 10% (26/262) in the decreased‐type group. TBW/TBF began to increase about 2 weeks before the appearance of gestational edema in pregnant women.
Conclusion: The measurement of body composition by BIA is applicable to pregnant women by using compensation by fetal component weight. Especially a serial estimation of TBW/TBF during pregnancy might play an important diagnostic role in gestational edema.