MRI Findings in Preterm and Term Infants
Author Information
Author(s): Gemma Sullivan, Alan J Quigley, Samantha Choi, Rory Teed, Manuel Blesa Cabez, Kadi Vaher, Amy Corrigan, David Q Stoye, Michael J Thrippleton, Mark Bastin, James P Boardman
Primary Institution: The University of Edinburgh
Hypothesis
What are the MRI features and incidental findings in very preterm infants compared to term controls?
Conclusion
One-fifth of very preterm infants without major parenchymal lesions have white or grey matter abnormalities at term-equivalent age, and incidental findings are common in both preterm and term infants.
Supporting Evidence
- 34% of term infants had incidental findings, including intracranial hemorrhage.
- 18% of preterm infants had white matter injury.
- 3% of infants required referral to specialist services due to incidental findings.
Takeaway
Doctors used special brain scans to check how babies born early are doing. They found some problems in the brains of these babies, but also found some surprises in babies born on time.
Methodology
288 infants underwent 3T MRI at term-equivalent age, with imaging techniques including T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and susceptibility-weighted imaging.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on prior knowledge from routine ultrasound for defining incidental findings.
Limitations
The study is limited to a single-centre population and may not capture dynamic changes in injury patterns over time.
Participant Demographics
187 preterm infants (mean gestational age 29+3 weeks) and 101 term-born controls (mean gestational age 39+4 weeks).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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