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Fetal Brain Growth in the Early Second Trimester
Maria Camila Cortes-Albornoz1,2,3,4, Camilo Calixto1,4, M Alejandra Bedoya1,5,4
1From the Department of Radiology (M.C.C.-A., C.C., M.A.B., R.A.D., J.A.E., C.J.), Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|November 16, 2023
Summary
This study tracked fetal brain development from 12-20 weeks gestation. Key brain structures and cerebrospinal fluid compartments showed significant growth, with the supratentorial brain and extra-axial CSF growing fastest.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Advances in fetal MRI allow early second-trimester imaging.
- Understanding early fetal brain development is crucial for interpreting these images.
- Limited data exists on normal fetal brain growth in early gestation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize normal fetal brain growth.
- To analyze growth between 12 and 20 weeks of gestational age.
- To establish normative data for fetal brain compartments.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study using MRI data.
- Manual segmentation of fetal brain structures (supratentorial parenchyma, brainstem, cerebellum, CSF).
- Linear regression analysis to correlate gestational age with volumes.
Main Results:
- Significant positive association between gestational age and all measured brain volumes (P < .001).
- Fastest growth rates observed in supratentorial parenchyma and extra-axial CSF.
- Fetal sex did not influence brain volumes.
Conclusions:
- Distinct growth trajectories exist for major fetal brain compartments in the early second trimester.
- Supratentorial brain and extra-axial CSF exhibit the most rapid growth.
- Provides normative growth data for early fetal brain development.
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