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Updated: May 10, 2026
Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
Preterm infants' early growth and brain white matter maturation at term age
Virva Lepomäki1, Marika Leppänen, Jaakko Matomäki
1Medical Imaging Centre of Southwest Finland, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland, vikale@utu.fi.
Insights
Premature infants with catch-up head growth show delayed brain maturation. This indicates that early postnatal growth may not fully compensate for interrupted brain development in growth-restricted newborns.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Normal brain development relies on intrauterine conditions; premature birth and growth restriction disrupt this process.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a valuable tool for studying brain maturation in infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of early postnatal growth on white matter maturation in preterm infants up to 40 gestational weeks.
- Utilize tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) to analyze DTI data and assess brain maturation.
Main Methods:
- Study included 36 preterm infants.
- Postnatal growth assessed via weight, length, and head circumference.
- Birth weight z-score and gestational age controlled as covariates.
Main Results:
- Catch-up growth in head circumference correlated with less mature diffusion parameters (P < 0.05).
- No significant association found between weight or length growth and diffusion parameters.
Conclusions:
- Growth-restricted infants exhibit delayed brain maturation that persists post-term.
- Catch-up growth, particularly in head circumference, does not fully restore normal brain maturation by term-equivalent age.
Background:
Normal intrauterine conditions are essential to normal brain growth and development; premature birth and growth restriction can interrupt brain maturation. Maturation processes can be studied using diffusion tensor imaging.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to use tract-based spatial statistics to assess the effect that early postnatal growth from birth to 40 gestational weeks has on brain white matter maturation.
Materials And Methods:
A total of 36 preterm infants were accepted in the study. Postnatal growth was assessed by weight, length and head circumference. Birth weight z-score and gestational age were used as confounding covariates.
Results:
Head circumference catch-up growth was associated with less mature diffusion parameters (P < 0.05). No significant associations were observed between weight or length growth and diffusion parameters.
Conclusion:
Growth-restricted infants seem to have delayed brain maturation that is not fully compensated at term, despite catch-up growth.
