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Clinical Factors That Affect the Relationship between Head Circumference and Brain Volume in Very-Low-Birth-Weight

Yukako Kawasaki1,2, Taketoshi Yoshida1, Mie Matsui3

  • 1Division of Neonatology, Maternal and Perinatal Center, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan.

Journal of Neuroimaging : Official Journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
|September 28, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Head circumference (HC) can predict total brain volume (TBV) in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. However, low birth body weight and dolichocephaly can affect this prediction, potentially overestimating TBV.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal imaging and development
  • Pediatric neurology
  • Biomedical engineering

Background:

  • Head circumference (HC) is a simple screening tool for brain growth abnormalities in infants.
  • HC predicts total brain volume (TBV) in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants, but with less accuracy than in healthy term infants.
  • Factors influencing the HC-TBV relationship in VLBW infants require identification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify clinical risk factors causing deviations in the HC-TBV regression line in VLBW infants.
  • To understand how birth body weight and cranial shape influence HC-TBV correlation.

Main Methods:

  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure HC and TBV in 37 VLBW infants at term-equivalent age.
  • Data were adjusted for sex, multiple births, and postmenstrual age.
  • The relationship between TBV/HC ratio and clinical factors was analyzed.

Main Results:

  • A positive correlation (r = .58) was found between HC and TBV.
  • Lower birth body weight (BBW) (r = .38) and dolichocephaly (r = 0.46) negatively impacted the TBV/HC ratio.
  • Excluding these factors improved the HC-TBV correlation (r = .63).

Conclusions:

  • HC is a valuable predictor of TBV in VLBW infants.
  • Caution is advised for infants with low BBW (<600g) or dolichocephaly (cranial index <.68) as TBV may be overestimated.
  • These factors significantly influence the accuracy of HC as a surrogate for TBV in VLBW populations.
Abstract

Keywords:
Head circumferenceMRIdolichocephalytotal brain volumevery-low-birth-weight infant

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