Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings in developmentally delayed children
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Updated: May 27, 2026
Scanning Dos and Don'ts: Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Awake Children Aged 3 to 5 Years to Assess Brain Structure and Function
Published on: March 10, 2026
Ali Akbar Momen1, Gholamreza Jelodar, Hamid Dehdashti
1Department of Pediatric Neurology, Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 173-61355, Ahvaz, Iran.
Insights
Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) effectively diagnoses developmental disorders in children. This study found abnormal brain MRI results in over 58% of developmentally delayed pediatric patients, aiding diagnosis and prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroradiology
Background:
- Developmental disorders affect 5-10% of preschool children, characterized by delayed skill acquisition.
- Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is crucial for evaluating brain structure and anomalies in affected children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the utility of brain MRI in diagnosing developmental disorders in pediatric patients.
- To identify common MRI findings in developmentally delayed children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of hospital records for 580 developmentally delayed children (2 months to 15 years).
- Data collected included patient demographics and brain MRI findings.
- Statistical analysis was performed on the collected data.
Main Results:
- Abnormal brain MRI findings were present in 340 (58.6%) of the 580 children studied.
- Neurovascular diseases or trauma (37.6%) were the most frequent abnormal findings.
- Other findings included nonspecific abnormalities (6.6%), congenital anomalies (6.7%), recognizable syndromes (0.5%), and metabolic/neurodegenerative diseases (7.2%).
Conclusions:
- Brain MRI is an effective diagnostic tool for developmental disorders, with over 58% of cases showing abnormalities.
- MRI findings are valuable for diagnosis, management, and prognosis determination in pediatric developmental disorders.
Abstract:
Background. Developmental disorders are failure or inability to acquire various age-specific skills at expected maturational age, which affects about 5-10% of preschool children. One of the most important methods for evaluation of developmentally delayed children is neuroimaging, especially, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that provides useful information regarding brain tissue structures and anomalies. Method and Material. In this study, hospital records of 580 developmentally delayed children (aged 2 months to 15 years) who admitted in pediatric ward of Golestan Hospital from 1997 to 2009 were selected. Information such as age, MRI findings were collected in the questionnaire and statistically analyzed. Results. Total, 580 children including 333 males (57.4%) and 247 females (42.6%) were studied. Abnormal brain MRI was observed in 340 (58.6%) cases (204 Males, 136 females). The finding includes nonspecific in 38 (6.6%), congenital and developmental anomalies of brain in 39 (6.7%), recognizable syndromes in 3 (0.5%), neurovascular diseases or trauma in 218 (37.6%), and metabolic or neurodegenerative diseases in 42 (7.2%) cases. Conclusion. Because 60% of all study groups showed abnormal brain MRI, using this method could be effective in diagnosis, management, and almost prognosis determination processes.
