Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2026
A Rat Graft Rejection Model of Intestinal Transplantation with Exteriorized Ileostomy for Longitudinal Prognosis Assessment
Published on: June 10, 2025
Neurodevelopmental outcomes of infant intestinal transplant recipients
D M Thevenin1, N Mittal, T Kato
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33131, USA. dthevenin@med.miami.edu
Insights
Infant intestinal transplantation can lead to significant cognitive and motor delays, especially with multivisceral transplants. Early intervention and family education are crucial for improving long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in these children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurodevelopment
- Organ transplantation outcomes
- Infant brain development
Background:
- Limited understanding of neurodevelopmental effects post-infant intestinal transplantation.
- Growing survival rates necessitate evaluation of developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants following liver or intestinal/multivisceral transplantation.
- To identify factors influencing cognitive and motor development post-transplant.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Bayley Scales of Infant Development for pre- and post-transplant assessments.
- Conducted four studies involving infants and children undergoing various transplant types.
Main Results:
- Some children achieve normal development, but many experience significant cognitive delays years post-transplant.
- Infants undergoing intestinal/multivisceral transplants show greater cognitive delays than liver transplant recipients.
- Multivisceral infants are more likely to have severe developmental delays at discharge.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive and motor development require careful evaluation post-infant transplantation for timely intervention.
- Family education on compliance with external intervention services is vital for optimizing long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Abstract:
Little is known about the impact of intestinal transplantation on development of the infant brain. In this study we report four neurodevelopmental studies on children receiving either liver or intestinal/multivisceral transplants. Our preliminary investigation examined the pretransplant status of 27 infants, who were either liver or intestinal/multivisceral candidates, using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. A second study examined 23 infants after liver or intestinal/multivisceral transplant. A third study included pre- and posttransplant evaluations on 5 multivisceral infant transplants. In the fourth study, 10 children were tested several years after intestinal/multivisceral transplantation. Some children are able to achieve a normal development. However, even several years posttransplant most children can still experience significant cognitive delays. Children receiving a transplant during infancy may also suffer severe motor delays. Infants undergoing intestinal/multivisceral transplantation show significantly more cognitive delays than those undergoing single-organ liver transplantation. In addition, multivisceral transplanted infants are more likely to continue to be severely developmentally delayed at the time of hospital discharge. With improved survival rates for infant transplants, both cognitive and motor development must be evaluated to determine the need for early intervention. In addition, educating families on the importance of compliance with intervention services outside the hospital is essential to maximize long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes for these infants.
