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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

A Rat Model of Mild Intrauterine Hypoperfusion with Microcoil Stenosis

A Rat Model of Mild Intrauterine Hypoperfusion with Microcoil Stenosis

Published on: January 7, 2018

Children's Brain Development Benefits from Longer Gestation.

Elysia Poggi Davis¹, Claudia Buss, L Tugan Muftuler

¹Women and Children's Health and Well-Being Project, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine Orange, CA, USA.

Frontiers in Psychology

|June 30, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A longer gestation period benefits brain development, even in full-term infants. Shorter gestation can negatively impact neurodevelopment, increasing lifelong risks for behavioral and psychological issues.

Keywords:

MRI brain development fetal programming full term gestational length preterm

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Last Updated: May 31, 2026

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Fabrication of an Expandable Brain Matrix Customizable Across Developmental Stages

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Published on: February 20, 2026

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Pediatrics

Background:

Shortened gestation disrupts brain development, increasing lifelong risks for behavioral and psychological dysfunction.
Gestational length is a critical factor influencing neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if the neurodevelopmental benefits of increased gestational length exist on a continuum across all gestational ages.
To determine the impact of gestational duration on brain development in healthy children.

Main Methods:

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to evaluate neurodevelopment.
100 healthy, right-handed children aged 6-10 years were studied.
Participants were born between 28 and 41 gestational weeks with a stable neonatal course.

Main Results:

A longer gestational period was associated with region-specific increases in gray matter density.
This neurodevelopmental advantage was observed across the gestational age spectrum, including full-term infants.
Even modest reductions in gestation duration showed significant effects.

Conclusions:

Longer gestation confers a significant advantage for neurodevelopment.
Gestational length impacts brain development, influencing gray matter density.
Decreased gestation duration poses long-term risks for health and disease due to neurodevelopmental effects.