Preterm birth and disruptive cerebellar development: assessment of perinatal risk factors

Abnormal cerebellar development was recently recognized to be related to prematurity. Aim of the present study was to evaluate preterm birth and possible peri- and postnatal risk factors associated with this type of brain injury.

We report on a series of 35 very low birth weight infants (birth weight 986+/-257g S.D.) born between 24 and 32 weeks of gestation (27.0+/-1.8 weeks of gestation S.D.) sustaining disruption of cerebellar development after preterm birth. Perinatal medical records of study patients were compared to 41 preterm control infants (birth weight 900+/-358g S.D., gestational age 26.3+/-2.1 weeks S.D.) with normal cerebellar development on MRI scan.

A severely compromised postnatal condition with consecutive intubation and catecholamine support was found to be significant risk factor. Additional supratentorial hemorrhagic brain injury followed by posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus, neurosurgical interventions and hemosiderin deposits on the cerebellar surface were significantly related to disruptive cerebellar development. No other differences in perinatal factors were found between the groups.

Premature birth between 24 and 32 gestational weeks associated with poor postnatal conditions and complicated supratentorial hemorrhagic brain lesions represents a high-risk situation for disruption of cerebellar development.