NCT05517967 · Pennington Biomedical Research Center
An Examination of Brown Adipose Tissue and Energy Expenditure in Infants
(Born2Burn)
What this study is about
Excess fetal adipose tissue growth during intrauterine development increases future obesity risk. Development of brown adipose tissue, a highly thermogenic organ in utero, may affect postnatal energy expenditure, thus influencing obesity risk.
View original scientific description
Excess fetal adipose tissue growth during intrauterine development increases future obesity risk. Development of brown adipose tissue, a highly thermogenic organ in utero, may affect postnatal energy expenditure, thus influencing obesity risk. This pilot research study is designed to understand the developmental origins of energy balance by examining maternal and neonatal factors that influence neonatal brown adipose tissue and to quantify its physiological relevance to energy expenditure in human neonates.
Primary outcome measures
Brown Adipose Tissue Fat-signal Fraction Difference Between Thermoneutral and Mild-Cold Environment
Time frame: 14 days
The difference in the infants' fat-signal fraction (ratio of lipid to water, expressed as a percentage), assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging, between a thermoneutral environment and a mild-cold exposure.
Energy Expenditure Difference Between Thermoneutral and Mild-Cold Environment
Time frame: 14 days
The difference in the infants' energy expenditure (expressed as kilocalories per day), assessed by room calorimetry, between a thermoneutral environment and a mild-cold exposure.
Who can participate
This study lists these criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov. A study coordinator reviews eligibility during screening — this page does not determine whether you qualify.
Inclusion criteria
- aged 0 weeks to less than 3 weeks at visit 1
- be willing to complete MRI procedures
Exclusion criteria
- Unable to complete two clinic visits within 14 days
- Born with health conditions that would render the procedures unsafe
- Born earlier than 36 and 0 days gestation
- Taken a steroid drug since birth
- Implanted metal or electronic objects that render MRI unsafe
Where
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Data: ClinicalTrials.gov · synced May 31, 2025 · Source of record for eligibility and locations