Caloric compensation in infants: developmental changes around the age of 1 year and associations with anthropometric measurements up to 2 years

Background: Previous results based on dietary recall suggest that the ability to adjust eaten quantities to food energy density (ED) may deteriorate around the age of 1 y. However, this hypothesis has not been investigated experimentally. Objectives: The first aim of the study was to describe changes in the short-term caloric compensation ability of infants around the age of 1 y. We expected a decrease in this ability with age. The second aim was to identify individual factors [e.g., breastfeeding duration, body mass index (BMI) z-score, and change in BMI z-score] related to interindividual variations in caloric compensation ability. Methods: We adapted the preload paradigm to calculate a COMPX score. The measure was performed in the laboratory at 11 and 15 mo. The parent offered a food preload that was either low or high in ED (LED = 33 kcal/100 g or HED = 97.9 kcal/100 g, respectively), followed by an ad libitum meal after 25 min. The infants were measured and weighed. Information about the infants' milk-feeding history was collected. Results: We obtained COMPX scores at 11 and 15 mo for 31 infants (12 females). As hypothesized, the caloric compensation ability significantly decreased with age (COMPX11 = 52% +/- 133%; COMPX15 = -14% +/- 151%; P = 0.03). The more the COMPX score decreased, the more the BMI z-score between 11 and 15 mo increased (P = 0.03) and the higher the BMI z-score was at 2 y (P= 0.03). No associations were found between COMPX scores and breastfeeding duration (all P > 0.60). Conclusions: Caloric compensation ability decreases between 11 and 15 mo. This decrease is associated with a larger increase in weight status from 11 to 15 mo and a higher weight status at 2 y. This study calls for further research to better understand the early determinants of caloric compensation ability. This trial was registered at www. clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03409042 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03409042).