Measurement of Energy Metabolism in Infants

This study intends to establish the feasibility of undertaking comprehensive metabolic
phenotyping in infants. The overarching aim is to complete a prospective assessment of energy
expenditure in the new infant metabolic chamber approximately one week apart to determine the
accuracy and precision of infant protocols related to energy metabolism (sleeping metabolic
rate, resting metabolic rate, diet-induced thermogenesis) and physical activity. This
cross-sectional study will answer the following questions:

1. What is the test re-test reliability of measuring energy expenditure (sleeping metabolic
rate, resting metabolic rate, diet-induced thermogenesis) in an infant under the same
conditions, 5-7 days apart?

2. What is the reliability of 24h energy expenditure estimated by the infant metabolic
chamber in comparison to a 7-day doubly labeled water study?

3. How do energy expenditure measurements in infants need to be adjusted to account for
variability in infant size and body composition?

Inclusion Criteria:

- Healthy, full-term infant

- Aged 1 month (28 days) to 3 months (12 weeks, 6 days) at the first visit

- Exclusively fed breast milk and/or infant formula

- Willing to accept doubly-labeled water

- If breastfed, willing to accept pumped breast milk for some of the study procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

- Unable to complete 2 assessment visits 5-7 days apart at Pennington Biomedical
Research Center

- Unable or unwilling to eat from an infant feeding bottle

- Born preterm (< 37 weeks gestation)

- Congenital abnormality or disability

- Gastric reflux

- Acute illness within 7 days of the study (fever, diarrhea)

- Use of medications to treat a chronic condition (does not include use of vitamin
supplements or PRN medication for flatulence)