Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026
A Rat Model of Mild Intrauterine Hypoperfusion with Microcoil Stenosis
Published on: January 7, 2018
Early alteration of structural and functional brain development in premature infants born with intrauterine growth
Cristina Borradori Tolsa1, Slava Zimine, Simon K Warfield
1Department of Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital, 1211 Geneva, Swizerland.
Insights
Placental insufficiency causing intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in preterm infants leads to reduced brain volume and impaired attention. This study highlights specific structural and functional brain consequences of IUGR.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Perinatology
Background:
- Placental insufficiency leading to fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a major cause of poor perinatal outcomes.
- IUGR is linked to neurodevelopmental deficits, but the biological basis remains unclear.
- Understanding the brain's structural and functional changes in IUGR is crucial for improving long-term outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of placental insufficiency and IUGR on brain development in preterm infants.
- To compare brain tissue volumes in preterm infants with and without IUGR using advanced MRI.
- To assess the relationship between brain structure and functional neurodevelopmental outcomes at term.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative volumetric 3D MRI was used to measure brain tissue volumes in 28 preterm infants.
- 14 infants had IUGR (birth weight <10th percentile, abnormal Doppler), and 14 were controls matched for gestational age.
- Brain imaging was performed early (within 2 weeks) and at term; functional outcome was assessed using a specialized behavioral scale at term.
Main Results:
- Infants with IUGR showed significantly reduced intracranial volume and cerebral cortical gray matter early in life and at term compared to controls.
- At term, IUGR infants had significantly lower scores in the attention-interaction availability subsystem.
- Cerebral cortical gray matter volume at term positively correlated with attention-interaction capacity.
Conclusions:
- Placental insufficiency with IUGR results in specific structural reductions in brain volume, particularly cerebral cortical gray matter.
- These structural changes are associated with functional deficits in attention and interaction in preterm infants.
- The findings provide insight into the structural-functional basis of developmental impairments seen in IUGR.
Abstract:
Placental insufficiency with fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is an important cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity and is subsequently associated with significant neurodevelopmental impairment in cognitive function, attention capacity, and school performance. The underlying biologic cause for this association is unclear. Twenty-eight preterm infants (gestational age 32.5 +/- 1.9 wk) were studied by early and term magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An advanced quantitative volumetric three-dimensional MRI technique was used to measure brain tissue volumes in 14 premature infants with placental insufficiency, defined by abnormal antenatal Doppler measurements and mean birth weights <10(th) percentile (1246 +/- 299 g) (IUGR) and in 14 preterm infants matched for gestational age with normal mean birth weights 1843 +/- 246 g (control). Functional outcome was measured at term in all infants by a specialized assessment scale of preterm infant behavior. Premature infants with IUGR had a significant reduction in intracranial volume (mean +/- SD: 253.7 +/- 29.9 versus 300.5 +/- 43.5 mL, p < 0.01) and in cerebral cortical gray matter (mean +/- SD: 77.2 +/- 16.3 versus 106.8 +/- 24.6 mL, p < 0.01) when measured within the first 2 wk of life compared with control premature infants. These findings persisted at term with intracranial volume (mean +/- SD: 429.3 +/- 47.9 versus 475.9 +/- 53.4 mL, p < 0.05) and cerebral cortical gray matter (mean +/- SD: 149.3 +/- 29.2 versus 189 +/- 34.2 mL, p < 0.01). Behavioral assessment at term showed a significantly less mature score in the subsystem of attention-interaction availability in IUGR infants (p < 0.01). Cerebral cortical gray matter volume at term correlated with attention-interaction capacity measured at term (r = 0.45, p < 0.05). These results suggest that placental insufficiency with IUGR have specific structural and functional consequences on cerebral cortical brain development. These findings may provide insight into the structural-functional correlate for the developmental deficits associated with IUGR.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:07Teratogenicity
01:30Neurulation