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MRI-Based Structural Development of the Human Newborn Hypothalamus.
Elizabeth Yen1,2,3, Josepheen DeAsis-Cruz4,5, Jerod M Rasmussen6,7,8
1Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|July 16, 2025
Summary
Prenatal exposures like smoking impact newborn hypothalamus volume. This brain region
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Public Health
Background:
- Intrauterine exposures may affect early hypothalamic structure and future disease risk.
- Limited human data exist on the impact of prenatal factors on the developing hypothalamus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between prenatal exposures and hypothalamic volume in newborns.
- To examine how factors like gestational age, sex, maternal BMI, and smoking influence early brain development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized T1-weighted MRI scans from 631 newborns in the Developing Human Connectome Project.
- Employed linear mixed-effects models to analyze associations with prenatal exposures.
- Partially replicated findings in the Adolescent Brain and Child Development (ABCD) Study.
Main Results:
- Hypothalamus volume increased with postmenstrual age but not when adjusted for brain volume.
- Males had larger absolute but smaller relative hypothalamus volumes.
- Lower gestational age was linked to larger relative hypothalamus volume, with sex-dependent effects.
- Prenatal smoking was associated with smaller hypothalamus volume in newborns and adolescents.
Conclusions:
- The hypothalamus is a sensitive target for perinatal influences.
- Early hypothalamic development is critical for understanding long-term health and disease origins.
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