BODY WATER COMPARTMENTS IN CHILDREN: CHANGES DURING GROWTH AND RELATED CHANGES IN BODY COMPOSITION

Abstract

During growth of infants and children, certain characteristic changes are found. A rapid decrease of the relative volumes of total body water and of extracellular water occurs during the first year of life, followed by a smaller decrease of volume of extracellular water later in childhood. At the same time an increased heterogeneity of the extracellular water takes place. On the other hand, the volume of intracellular water increases a little during the first months of life and remains more or less constant from then on. Formulas and nomograms from which these body water compartments can be predicted are presented. Finally, data on the corresponding changes in the total body water and in body specific gravity are discussed.