Changes in skinfolds during pregnancy

Abstract

I. Skinfold thicknesses at seven sites were measured during and after pregnancy in eightyfour women ; in forty-eight of these, total body water was measured concurrently.2. Early in pregnancy (10 weeks) the skinfold measurements were highly correlated with each other and with maternal weight, ratio of observed weight to standard weight-for-height, 'dry' (water-free) weight, and with calculated estimates of body fat.3. At nearly all sites, skinfold thicknesses increased up to about 30 weeks of pregnancy. Increases were greater at 'central' and least at 'peripheral' sites, and were not proportional to the initial skinfold thickness.4. From 30 to 38 weeks of pregnancy, the patterns were variable: the mid-thigh skinfold continued to increase and at the other sites there was little change or a decrease.5. All sites decreased by a surprisingly large amount between 38 weeks of pregnancy and the end of the first post-partum week. The evidence suggests that this change, which was not related to the presence or absence of oedema, occurred about the time of parturition.6. From the end of the first post-partum week to 6-8 weeks post partunz, the changes were again variable. 7.The increase of skinfolds during pregnancy was greater in underweight than in overweight women, and in primiparae than in multiparae. The pattern of change was not affected in any consistent manner by oedema.8. The changes in skinfold thicknesses during pregnancy, especially up to about 30 weeks, showed patterns similar to those of total body-weight and 'dry' body-weight. A formula is given by means of which 'dry' weight can be predicted from five skinfolds, height and duration of gestation.

Maternal abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness as a predictor for adverse pregnancy outcome: a longitudinal cohort study

“…Early research with small numbers of normal weight women using skin calipers and body composition demonstrated an increase in fat deposits from 6-10 to 28-35 weeks' gestation. [42][43][44][45] In 2001, the skin-fold caliper findings were shown to inflate the amount of adipose tissue when compared with ultrasound, due to measurement bias. 46 In our research there was no significant difference in abdominal SFT in the normal BMI category but a significant decrease in the subcutaneous fat measure from SFT1 to SFT2 in the overweight and obese categories.…”

The maternal and fetal impacts of obesity and gestational diabetes on pregnancy outcome

“…44,51 In women of healthy pre-pregnancy BMI, early gestational adipose tissue gains are laid down in the subcutaneous compartments of the breast, trunk and upper thigh, and during later pregnancy a small quantity of fat is stored as visceral adipose tissue. 52,53 Although there is conflict in published data, greater gain in gestational adiposity probably occurs in mothers who are overweight or obese prior to conception. Excess gestational fat in obese mothers is stored predominantly in the visceral compartment rather than in the subcutaneous compartments.…”

Skinfold caliper and ultrasound assessments of change in the distribution of subcutaneous fat during adolescent pregnancy

“…: 10.7 AE 2.8 weeks). The second study visit was scheduled to coincide with the time during gestation when maternal adiposity peaks 8 (range 27 -33 weeks; mean AE s.d. 29.6 AE 1.8 weeks).…”

“…With the subjects in the supine position, measurements were obtained on the non-dominant side of the body at three sites on the extremities -triceps (midpoint between the acromion and olecranon processes on the posterior aspect of the arm), biceps (midpoint of the muscle belly) and thigh (midpoint between the inguinal Fat distribution during adolescent pregnancy C Stevens-Simon et al fold and the midpoint of the patella on the anterior aspect of the leg) -and three sites on the trunk -subscapular (inferior angle of the scapula), costal (midpoint between the last rib and the iliac crest in the mid axillary line) and supra-iliac (oblique fold on the iliac crest in the mid-axillary line). All caliper measurements were made in the standard fashion 8 by the same observer (JB), using a Lange skinfold caliper. Ultrasound measurements were taken at the six sites marked for the skinfold caliper measurements, using an Acuson 128-XP real-time scanner (Acuson Inc. Mountain View, California) equipped with an electronic caliper and 7 MHz linear transducer.…”

“…8,9 The skinfold caliper, which is typically used to measure subcutaneous adipose tissue, has well-documented limitations, many of which are apt to be accentuated by pregnancy. 8,9 For example, Robertson demonstrated that the 'compressibility' of the skin, or the extent to which the skin is compacted when an external force is applied and the subcutaneous adipose tissue and water are displaced, increases dramatically during the first trimester of pregnancy and then gradually thereafter, until term. 10 This has been attributed to hormonally induced changes in the hydration status of extracellular components of the connective tissues.…”