Ultrasound measurements of subcutaneous adipose tissue in infants are reproducible

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ultrasound techni que for measuring subcutaneous adipose tissue in infants. Methods: Twenty infants were investigated at 3, 6, and 12 months of age. Al l 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 a re reproducible when performed by the same observer.