Female adiposity and time-to-pregnancy: a multiethnic prospective cohort

STUDY QUESTION

Are higher overall and central adiposity associated with reduced fecundability, measured by time-to-pregnancy (TTP), in Asian women?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Higher overall adiposity, but not central adiposity, was associated with longer TTP in Asian women.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

High body mass index (BMI) has been associated with a longer TTP, although the associations of body composition and distribution with TTP are less clear. There are no previous studies of TTP in Asian women, who have a relatively higher percentage of body fat and abdominal fat at relatively lower BMI.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

Prospective preconception cohort using data from 477 Asian (Chinese, Malay and Indian) women who were planning to conceive and enrolled in the Singapore PREconception Study of long-Term maternal and child Outcomes (S-PRESTO) study, 2015-2017.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Women's mean age was 30.7 years. Overall adiposity was assessed by BMI, sum of 4-site skinfold thicknesses (SFT) and total body fat percentage (TBF%, measured using air displacement plethysmography); central adiposity was assessed by waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and A body Shape Index (ABSI). Pregnancy occurring within one year from recruitment was ascertained by ultrasonography. Those who did not conceive within one year of recruitment, were lost to follow-up, or initiated fertility treatment were censored. TTP was measured in cycles. Discrete-time proportional hazards models were used to estimate the fecundability ratio (FR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each anthropometric measure in association with fecundability, adjusting for confounders.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Compared to women with a normal BMI of 18.5-22.9 kg/m2, women with higher BMI of 23-27.4 and ≥27.5 kg/m2 showed lower FR of 0.66 (95% CI 0.45, 0.97) and 0.53 (0.31, 0.89), respectively. Compared to women in the lowest quartile of SFT (25-52.9 mm), those in the highest quartile of ≥90.1 mm showed lower FR of 0.58 (95% CI 0.36, 0.95). Compared to women in the lowest quartile of TBF% (13.6-27.2%), those in the upper two quartiles of 33.0-39.7% and ≥39.8% showed lower FR of 0.56 (95% CI 0.32, 0.98) and 0.43 (0.24, 0.80), respectively. Association of high BMI with reduced fecundability was particularly evident among nulliparous women. Measures of central adiposity (WC, WHR, WHtR, ABSI) were not associated with fecundability.

LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION

Small sample size could restrict power of analysis.The analysis was confined to planned pregnancies, which could limit generalizability of findings to non-planned pregnancies, estimated at around 44% in Singapore. Information on the date of last menstrual period for each month was not available, hence the accuracy of self-reported menstrual cycle length could not be validated, potentially introducing error into TTP estimation. Measures of exposures and covariates such as cycle length were not performed repeatedly over time; cycle length might have changed during the period before getting pregnant.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Other than using BMI as the surrogate measure of body fat, we provide additional evidence showing that higher amounts of subcutaneous fat that based on the measure of SFT at the sites of biceps, triceps, suprailiac and subscapular, and TBF% are associated with longer TTP. Achieving optimal weight and reducing total percentage body fat may be a potential intervention target to improve female fertility. The null results observed between central adiposity and TTP requires confirmation in further studies.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This research is supported by Singapore National Research Foundation under its Translational and Clinical Research Flagship Programme and administered by the Singapore Ministry of Health's National Medical Research Council, (NMRC/TCR/004-NUS/2008; NMRC/TCR/012-NUHS/2014). Additional funding is provided by the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore. Y.S.C., K.M.G., F.Y. and Y.S.L. have received reimbursement to speak at conferences sponsored by companies selling nutritional products. Y.S.C., K.M.G. and S.Y.C. are part of an academic consortium that has received research funding from Abbott, Nutrition, Nestle and Danone. Other authors declared no conflicts of interest.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.

MicroRNA miR-252 targets mbt to control the developmental growth of Drosophila

Developmental growth is an intricate process involving the coordinated regulation of the expression of various genes, and microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in diverse processes throughout animal development. The ecdysone-responsive miRNA, miR-252, is normally upregulated during the pupal and adult stages of Drosophila development. Here, we found that overexpression of miR-252 in the larval fat body decreased total tissue mass through a reduction in both cell size and cell number, causing a concomitant decrease in larval size. Furthermore, miR-252 overexpression led to a delayed larval-to-pupal transition with defective anterior spiracle eversion, as well as a decrease in adult size and mass. Conversely, adult flies lacking miR-252 showed an increase in mass compared with control flies. We found that miR-252 directly targeted mbt, encoding a p21-activated kinase, to repress its expression. Notably, co-overexpression of mbt rescued the developmental and growth defects associated with miR-252 overexpression, indicating that mbt is a biologically relevant target of miR-252. Overall, our data support a role for the ecdysone/miR-252/mbt regulatory axis in growth control during Drosophila development.

A Scoring System for Prediction of Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

An accurate and comprehensive assessment of lymph node metastasis in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer is crucial in daily practice. This study constructed a predictive model with a risk scoring system based on CT characteristics of lymph nodes and tumors for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to stratify the risk of lymph node metastasis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data included 476 cervical lymph nodes from 191 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma from a historical cohort. We analyzed preoperative CT images of lymph nodes, including diameter, ratio of long-to-short axis diameter, necrosis, conglomeration, infiltration to adjacent soft tissue, laterality and T-stage of the primary tumor. The reference standard comprised pathologic results. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to develop the risk scoring system. Internal validation was performed with 1000-iteration bootstrapping.

RESULTS

Shortest axial diameter, ratio of long-to-short axis diameter, necrosis, and T-stage were used to develop a 9-point risk scoring system. The risk of malignancy ranged from 7.3% to 99.8%, which was positively associated with increased scores. Areas under the curve of the risk scoring systems were 0.886 (95% CI, 0.881-0.920) and 0.879 (95% CI, 0.845-0.914) in internal validation. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test indicated that the risk scoring system was well-calibrated (P = .160).

CONCLUSIONS

We developed a comprehensive and simple risk scoring system using CT characteristics in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to stratify the risk of lymph node metastasis. It could facilitate decision-making in daily practice.

PIN1 is a new therapeutic target of craniosynostosis

Gain-of-function mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) cause congenital skeletal anomalies, including craniosynostosis (CS), which is characterized by the premature closure of craniofacial sutures. Apert syndrome (AS) is one of the severest forms of CS, and the only treatment is surgical expansion of prematurely fused sutures in infants. Previously, we demonstrated that the prolyl isomerase peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase interacting 1 (PIN1) plays a critical role in mediating FGFR signaling and that Pin1+/- mice exhibit delayed closure of cranial sutures. In this study, using both genetic and pharmacological approaches, we tested whether PIN1 modulation could be used as a therapeutic regimen against AS. In the genetic approach, we crossbred Fgfr2S252W/+, a mouse model of AS, and Pin1+/- mice. Downregulation of Pin1 gene dosage attenuated premature cranial suture closure and other phenotypes of AS in Fgfr2S252W/+ mutant mice. In the pharmacological approach, we intraperitoneally administered juglone, a PIN1 enzyme inhibitor, to pregnant Fgfr2S252W/+ mutant mice and found that this treatment successfully interrupted fetal development of AS phenotypes. Primary cultured osteoblasts from Fgfr2S252W/+ mutant mice expressed high levels of FGFR2 downstream target genes, but this phenotype was attenuated by PIN1 inhibition. Post-translational stabilization and activation of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) in Fgfr2S252W/+ osteoblasts were also attenuated by PIN1 inhibition. Based on these observations, we conclude that PIN1 enzyme activity is important for FGFR2-induced RUNX2 activation and craniofacial suture morphogenesis. Moreover, these findings highlight that juglone or other PIN1 inhibitors represent viable alternatives to surgical intervention for treatment of CS and other hyperostotic diseases.

Prospective observational study of vaginal microbiota pre- and post-rescue cervical cerclage

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relation between vaginal microbiota composition and outcome of rescue cervical cerclage.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study.

SETTING

Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, London.

POPULATION

Twenty singleton pregnancies undergoing a rescue cervical cerclage.

METHODS

Vaginal microbiota composition was analysed in women presenting with a dilated cervix and exposed fetal membranes before and 10 days following rescue cervical cerclage and was correlated with clinical outcomes.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Composition of vaginal bacteria was characterised by culture-independent next generation sequencing. Successful cerclage was defined as that resulting in the birth of a neonate discharged from hospital without morbidity. Unsuccessful cerclage was defined as procedures culminating in miscarriage, intrauterine death, neonatal death or significant neonatal morbidity.

RESULTS

Reduced Lactobacillus spp. relative abundance was observed in 40% of cases prior to rescue cerclage compared with 10% of gestation age-matched controls (8/20, 40% versus 3/30, 10%, P = 0.017). Gardnerella vaginalis was over-represented in women presenting with symptoms (3/7, 43% versus 0/13, 0%, P = 0.03, linear discriminant analysis, LDA (log 10) and cases culminating in miscarriage (3/6, 50% versus 0/14, 0%, P = 0.017). In the majority of cases (10/14, 71%) bacterial composition was unchanged following cerclage insertion and perioperative interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

Reduced relative abundance of Lactobacillus spp. is associated with premature cervical dilation, whereas high levels of G. vaginalis are associated with unsuccessful rescue cerclage cases. The insertion of a rescue cerclage does not affect the underlying bacterial composition in the majority of cases.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Preterm cervical dilatation associates with reduced Lactobacillus spp. Presence of Gardnerella vaginalis predicts rescue cerclage failure.

An Ultra-High-Energy Density Supercapacitor; Fabrication Based on Thiol-functionalized Graphene Oxide Scrolls

Present state-of-the-art graphene-based electrodes for supercapacitors remain far from commercial requirements in terms of high energy density. The realization of high energy supercapacitor electrodes remains challenging, because graphene-based electrode materials are synthesized by the chemical modification of graphene. The modified graphene electrodes have lower electrical conductivity than ideal graphene, and limited electrochemically active surface areas due to restacking, which hinders the access of electrolyte ions, resulting in a low energy density. In order to solve the issue of restacking and low electrical conductivity, we introduce thiol-functionalized, nitrogen-doped, reduced graphene oxide scrolls as the electrode materials for an electric double-layer supercapacitor. The fabricated supercapacitor exhibits a very high energy/power density of 206 Wh/kg (59.74 Wh/L)/496 W/kg at a current density of 0.25 A/g, and a high power/energy density of 32 kW/kg (9.8 kW/L)/9.58 Wh/kg at a current density of 50 A/g; it also operates in a voltage range of 0~4 V with excellent cyclic stability of more than 20,000 cycles. By suitably combining the scroll-based electrode and electrolyte material, this study presents a strategy for electrode design for next-generation energy storage devices with high energy density without compromising the power density.

Three-dimensional collective charge excitations in electron-doped copper oxide superconductors

High-temperature copper oxide superconductors consist of stacked CuO₂ planes, with electronic band structures and magnetic excitations that are primarily two-dimensional^1,2, but with superconducting coherence that is three-dimensional. This dichotomy highlights the importance of out-of-plane charge dynamics, which has been found to be incoherent in the normal state^3,4 within the limited range of momenta accessible by optics. Here we use resonant inelastic X-ray scattering to explore the charge dynamics across all three dimensions of the Brillouin zone. Polarization analysis of recently discovered collective excitations (modes) in electron-doped copper oxides^5-7 reveals their charge origin, that is, without mixing with magnetic components^5-7. The excitations disperse along both the in-plane and out-of-plane directions, revealing its three-dimensional nature. The periodicity of the out-of-plane dispersion corresponds to the distance between neighbouring CuO₂ planes rather than to the crystallographic c-axis lattice constant, suggesting that the interplane Coulomb interaction is responsible for the coherent out-of-plane charge dynamics. The observed properties are hallmarks of the long-sought 'acoustic plasmon', which is a branch of distinct charge collective modes predicted for layered systems^8-12 and argued to play a substantial part in mediating high-temperature superconductivity^10-12.

Allium hookeri supplementation improves intestinal immune response against necrotic enteritis in young broiler chickens

Three hundred birds (1 day old) were randomly assigned to 6 groups (n = 50 birds/treatment) and fed a basal diet (control) or basal diet supplemented with Allium hookeri (AH) root (1 or 3%). At day 14, half of the birds in each group were orally challenged with E. maxima 41A (1 × 104 cells/chicken), followed by C. perfringens infection (1 × 109 cfu/chicken) on day 18. Necrotic enteritis (NE)-associated infections and intestinal immune response were assessed by average body weight gain, lesion score, and oocyst shedding. The effect of dietary supplementation, AH, on transcript levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and tight junction proteins and mucin protein in the jejunum, were quantified by quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR. At day 20, birds fed with diet supplementation (3% of AH) significantly weighted more than the control group. Although the NE-challenged had significantly reduced average body weight gain, there was no significance in the effect between diet × NE-challenge interactions on the average body weight gain. Among the NE-challenged groups, gut lesion score and oocyst shedding were significantly decreased in birds given AH (1 or 3%) compared to the control group. There was a correlation between diet and NE infection with regards to interleukin (IL)-17A, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The up-regulated transcript levels of cytokines IL-8, IL-17A, iNOS, and LITAF by NE challenged groups were significantly reduced by AH (1 or 3%) supplementation. Down-regulated expression levels of tight junction (TJ) proteins: junctional adhesion molecule 2 (JAM2), occluding, and intestinal mucin 2 (MUC2) by NE challenge, was up-regulated by the addition of AH (1 or 3%) supplementation. All TJ proteins (JAM2, ZO1, Ocluddin and MUC2) in the jejunum had a significant diet × NE-challenge interaction. These findings demonstrate that dietary supplementation of AH in chicken feed could be beneficially used to improve chicken health against NE.

Violet-blue emission property of the cerium-ion doped CaHfO3 : Doping and temperature dependence

We investigated the emission property of perovskite CaHfO₃ polycrystals with various concentrations of cerium ion (Ce³⁺ ). With a wide range of UV photoexcitation, we observed a strong emission near 430 nm which should originate from 5d-4f transitions in the Ce³⁺ ions. Combining these emission spectra with the photoluminescence excitation spectra, we estimated the Stokes shift to be 6700 cm^-1 , irrespective of the Ce³⁺ ion doping concentration. We found that the violet-blue emissions in Ce³⁺ ions showed non-trivial temperature dependence in their peak position and intensity. We found interesting low-temperature behavior of the violet-blue emission, which might be attributed to the thermal lattice effect in CaHfO₃ . We also discussed our results with those of the similar materials, perovskite zirconates. Our systematic studies provide useful information on the host material CaHfO₃ for a future study on the violet-blue emission of Ce³⁺ ions.

The Effects of Direct-fed Microbial Supplementation, as an Alternative to Antibiotics, on Growth Performance, Intestinal Immune Status, and Epithelial Barrier Gene Expression in Broiler Chickens

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Bacillus subtilis-based probiotic supplementation in broiler chicken diets on growth performance, feed efficiency, intestinal cytokine, and tight junction (TJ) protein mRNA expression. Zero-day-old broiler chicks (n = 140) were randomly assigned to one of five dietary treatments: basal diet (CON); basal diet supplemented with either antibiotic bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD); or probiotics, namely, B. subtilis strain 1781 (PB1), a combination of B. subtilis strain 1104 + strain 747 (PB2), or B. subtilis strain 1781 + strain 747 (PB3). Body weight and feed intake were measured at 14 days of age, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated. At 14 days of age, ileal samples were collected and used for intestinal cytokine, TJ protein, and mucin gene expression analysis using qRT-PCR. The chickens supplemented with antibiotic (BMD) and B. subtilis strain 1781 alone (PB1) had significantly higher body weights compared to controls of the same age. Dietary supplementation with antibiotic (BMD) or probiotics (PB1, PB2, PB3) significantly improved the feed efficiency as evidenced by decreased FCR compared to controls. No differences were observed in the expression of IL1β, IL17F, IFNγ, and MUC2 gene among the different treatment groups. However, elevated expression of IL6 (BMD, PB1, PB2), IL8 (PB2), and TNFSF15 (PB1, PB2, PB3) compared to controls was observed in the ileum. IL2 and IL10 expression was upregulated in chicks in the PB2 and PB3 groups, and IL4 was elevated in the PB1 group. IL13 was elevated in all probiotic-fed groups (PB1, PB2, PB3). Probiotic supplementation was also shown to significantly increase the expression of TJ proteins JAM2, ZO1 (PB2, PB3), and occludin (PB1, PB2). Taken together, B. subtilis supplementation altered intestinal immune activity and influenced gut barrier integrity through increased tight junction gene expression.

Development of a Cloud Computing-Based Pier Type Port Structure Stability Evaluation Platform Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

Structure Health Monitoring is a topic of great interest in port structures due to the ageing of structures and the limitations of evaluating structures. This paper presents a cloud computing-based stability evaluation platform for a pier type port structure using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors in a system consisting of a FBG strain sensor, FBG displacement gauge, FBG angle meter, gateway, and cloud computing-based web server. The sensors were installed on core components of the structure and measurements were taken to evaluate the structures. The measurement values were transmitted to the web server via the gateway to analyze and visualize them. All data were analyzed and visualized in the web server to evaluate the structure based on the safety evaluation index (SEI). The stability evaluation platform for pier type port structures involves the efficient monitoring of the structures which can be carried out easily anytime and anywhere by converging new technologies such as cloud computing and FBG sensors. In addition, the platform has been successfully implemented at “Maryang Harbor” situated in Maryang-Meyon of Korea to test its durability.

A Polysulfide-Infiltrated Carbon Cloth Cathode for High-Performance Flexible Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

For practical application of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs), it is crucial to develop sulfur cathodes with high areal capacity and cycle stability in a simple and inexpensive manner. In this study, a carbon cloth infiltrated with a sulfur-containing electrolyte solution (CC-S) was utilized as an additive-free, flexible, high-sulfur-loading cathode. A freestanding carbon cloth performed double duty as a current collector and a sulfur-supporting/trapping material. The active material in the form of Li₂S₆ dissolved in a 1 M LiTFSI-DOL/DME solution was simply infiltrated into the carbon cloth (CC) during cell fabrication, and its optimal loading amount was found to be in a range between 2 and 10 mg/cm² via electrochemical characterization. It was found that the interwoven carbon microfibers retained structural integrity against volume expansion/contraction and that the embedded uniform micropores enabled a high loading and an efficient trapping of sulfur species during cycling. The LSB coin cell employing the CC-S electrode with an areal sulfur loading of 6 mg/cm² exhibited a high areal capacity of 4.3 and 3.2 mAh/cm² at C/10 for 145 cycles and C/3 for 200 cycles, respectively, with minor capacity loss (<0.03%/cycle). More importantly, such high performance could also be realized in flexible pouch cells with dimensions of 2 cm × 6 cm before and after 300 bending cycles. Simple and inexpensive preparation of sulfur cathodes using CC-S electrodes, therefore, has great potential for the manufacture of high-performance flexible LSBs.

Graphene supercapacitor with both high power and energy density

Supercapacitors, based on fast ion transportation, are specialized to provide high power, long stability, and efficient energy storage using highly porous electrode materials. However, their low energy density excludes them from many potential applications that require both high energy density and high power density performances. Using a scalable nanoporous graphene synthesis method involving an annealing process in hydrogen, here we show supercapacitors with highly porous graphene electrodes capable of achieving not only a high power density of 41 kW kg^-1 and a Coulombic efficiency of 97.5%, but also a high energy density of 148.75 Wh kg^-1. A high specific gravimetric and volumetric capacitance (306.03 F g^-1 and 64.27 F cm^-3) are demonstrated. The devices can retain almost 100% capacitance after 7000 charging/discharging cycles at a current density of 8 A g^-1. The superior performance of supercapacitors is attributed to their ideal pore size, pore uniformity, and good ion accessibility of the synthesized graphene.

Does the maternal vaginal microbiota play a role in seeding the microbiota of neonatal gut and nose?

The acquisition and early maturation of infant microbiota is not well understood despite its likely influence on later health. We investigated the contribution of the maternal microbiota to the microbiota of infant gut and nose in the context of mode of delivery and feeding. Using 16S rRNA sequencing and specific qPCR, we profiled microbiota of 42 mother-infant pairs from the GUSTO birth cohort, at body sites including maternal vagina, rectum and skin; and infant stool and nose. In our study, overlap between maternal vaginal microbiota and infant faecal microbiota was minimal, while the similarity between maternal rectal microbiota and infant microbiota was more pronounced. However, an infant's nasal and gut microbiota were no more similar to that of its own mother, than to that of unrelated mothers. These findings were independent of delivery mode. We conclude that the transfer of maternal vaginal microbes play a minor role in seeding infant stool microbiota. Transfer of maternal rectal microbiota could play a larger role in seeding infant stool microbiota, but approaches other than the generally used analyses of community similarity measures are likely to be needed to quantify bacterial transmission. We confirmed the clear difference between microbiota of infants born by Caesarean section compared to vaginally delivered infants and the impact of feeding mode on infant gut microbiota. Only vaginally delivered, fully breastfed infants had gut microbiota dominated by Bifidobacteria. Our data suggest that reduced transfer of maternal vaginal microbial is not the main mechanism underlying the differential infant microbiota composition associated with Caesarean delivery. The sources of a large proportion of infant microbiota could not be identified in maternal microbiota, and the sources of seeding of infant gut and nasal microbiota remain to be elucidated.

Which anthropometric measures best reflect neonatal adiposity?

BACKGROUND

Studying the determinants and the long-term consequences of fetal adipose accretion requires accurate assessment of neonatal body composition. In large epidemiological studies, in-depth body composition measurement methods are usually not feasible for cost and logistical reasons, and there is a need to identify anthropometric measures that adequately reflect neonatal adiposity.

METHODS

In a multiethnic Asian mother-offspring cohort in Singapore, anthropometric measures (weight, length, abdominal circumference, skinfold thicknesses) were measured using standardized protocols in newborn infants, and anthropometric indices (weight/length, weight/length² (body mass index, BMI), weight/length³ (ponderal index, PI)) derived. Neonatal total adiposity was measured using air displacement plethysmography (ADP) and abdominal adiposity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Correlations of the anthropometric measures with ADP- and MRI-based adiposity were assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficients (r_p), including in subsamples stratified by sex and ethnicity.

RESULTS

Study neonates (n=251) had a mean (s.d.) age of 10.2 (2.5) days. Correlations between ADP-based fat mass (ADP_FM) and anthropometric measures were moderate (r_p range: 0.44-0.67), with the strongest being with weight/length, weight, BMI and sum of skinfolds (r_p=0.67, 0.66, 0.62, 0.62, respectively, all P<0.01). All anthropometric measures except skinfold thicknesses correlated more strongly with ADP-based fat-free mass than ADP_FM, indicating that skinfold measures may have more discriminative power in terms of neonatal total body adiposity. For MRI-based measures, weight and weight/length consistently showed strong positive correlations (r_p⩾0.7) with abdominal adipose tissue compartments. These correlations were consistent in boys and girls, across different ethnic groups, and when conventional determinants of neonatal adiposity were adjusted for potential confounding. Abdominal circumference was not strongly associated with ADP_FM or abdominal fat mass.

CONCLUSIONS

Simple anthropometric measures (weight and weight/length) correlated strongly with neonatal adiposity, with some evidence for greater discriminative power for skinfold measures. These simple measures could be of value in large epidemiological studies.