Size at birth predicts later brain volumes

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Perinatal factors like gestation, birth weight, and head circumference are crucial for early brain development.
• Long-term effects of these factors on brain structure in mid-childhood for late-preterm and term-born infants are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between gestation at birth, birth weight, head circumference, and brain volume and white matter microstructure at 9-10 years.
• To identify key perinatal predictors of brain development in mid-childhood for children born late-preterm and at term.

Main Methods:

• Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on 111 children (aged 9-10 years) from the CHYLD Study cohort.
• Volumetric brain analysis used FreeSurfer, and white matter microstructure was assessed using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) on diffusion MRI data.

Main Results:

• Shorter gestation, lower birth weight, and smaller head circumference were linked to reduced global and regional brain volumes at 9-10 years.
• Birth head circumference was the most significant predictor of later brain volumes.
• While gestation and absolute birth weight showed no association with white matter diffusion metrics, a lower birth weight z-score correlated with increased fractional anisotropy and decreased radial diffusivity.

Conclusions:

• Prenatal growth and birth timing remain associated with brain development in mid-childhood, even for infants born late-preterm or at term.
• Head circumference at birth is a critical indicator of subsequent brain volume.
• Birth weight z-score may reflect subtle differences in white matter development.