Ultrasound measurements of subcutaneous adipose tissue in infants are reproducible

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ultrasound technique for measuring subcutaneous adipose tissue in infants. METHODS: Twenty infants were investigated at 3, 6, and 12 months of age. All measurements were made by the same investigator in triplicate on the left side of the body at the triceps and subscapular anatomic landmarks and at the abdomen and thigh. An ultrasound system equipped with a linear 7.0-MHz transducer was used. RESULTS: The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.88 to 0.99. Random errors ranged from 0.01 to 0.19 mm. For log-transformed values, the random error ranged from 2.4% to 5.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Measurements of subcutaneous fat in infants using ultrasound are reproducible when performed by the same observer.