NEUTRON-ACTIVATION ANALYSIS - CRITERION METHOD FOR EVALUATION OF DUAL-ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY MEASUREMENTS IN INFANTS

Total body neutron activation analysis (NAA) was used to examine the elemental composition of 22 piglets in the weight range 0.7 kg to 3.4 kg. The accuracy of the NAA technique, compared to direct chemical carcass analysis, established it as an equivalent chemical criterion (reference) method. The body composition of 14 human infant cadavers was also examined by NAA and by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The DXA-derived lean, fat, and bone compartments were compared with an NAA chemical model of composition. Each of the three compartments was significantly correlated (r = 0.85 - 0.95, p < 0.001) for the two independent assays, although there were substantial differences for the estimated size of the compartments for individual infants.