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Updated: Jun 15, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Safety of magnetic resonance imaging in preterm infants
I Benavente-Fernández1, P S Lubián-López, M A Zuazo-Ojeda
1Department of Neonatology, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain.
Insights
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is safe for very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, even when the scanner is distant from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This neuroimaging technique poses no risk to infant stability during transport and scanning.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Neurology
- Pediatric Radiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Advancing understanding of preterm brain injury necessitates neuroimaging of infants shortly after birth.
- Magnetic resonance (MR) is a powerful tool for assessing perinatal brain injury.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety of MR imaging in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
- To assess the feasibility of MRI when the scanner is located remotely from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 33 VLBW infants.
- Early MR imaging (MRI) performed within 10 days of birth and at term corrected age.
- Data collected from June to December 2008.
Main Results:
- 46 MRIs were conducted on 33 infants.
- Average scan time in the magnet was 13.04 minutes.
- No adverse events occurred during transport or scanning; vital signs (heart rate, oxygen saturation, temperature) remained stable.
Conclusions:
- Transport and MRI procedures are safe for VLBW infants in this hospital setting.
- MRI is feasible without specialized neonatal equipment if a multidisciplinary team supervises the process.
- MRI should not be limited to centers with dedicated neonatal MR systems or MR-compatible incubators.
Aim:
As we progress in our knowledge of preterm brain injury, cohort studies are focusing in neuroimaging preterm infants in the first days of life. Magnetic resonance (MR) is the most powerful neuroimaging modality and valuable in understanding perinatal brain injury. The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety of MR imaging in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants at our hospital settings where the scanner is located at some distance from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Subjects And Methods:
This is a prospective study of 33 VLBW infants who underwent early MR imaging (MRI), within 10 days after birth and term corrected age MRI. The study period included June to December 2008.
Results:
A total of 46 MRI were performed on 33 preterm infants. The mean total time the infants stayed in the bore of the magnet was 13.04 min. No incidences occurred during transfer or during the scans, and no significant changes were found in heart rate, oxygen saturation and temperature.
Conclusions:
At our hospital settings, the process of transport and MR imaging have been proven to be safe and not to disturb any of the variables measured. MRI should not be restricted to centres with neonatal MR system or MR-compatible incubator, as long as the process is coordinated and supervised by a multidisciplinary team.
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