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Background: Preterm infants are at increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment due to the vulnerability of the immature brain. Early risk stratification is necessary for predicting outcome in the period of highest neuroplasticity. Several biomarkers in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at term equivalent age (TEA) have therefore been suggested.
Objective: To assess the predictive value of simple brain metrics and the total abnormality score (TAS) - a modified score for brain injury and growth - in relation to neurodevelopmental outcome of very preterm infants in MRI at TEA.
Methods: Single-centre cohort study including preterm infants with gestational age (GA) ≤32 weeks and birth weight ≤1,500 g. Biparietal width (BPW), interhemispheric distance, transcerebellar diameter (TCD) and TAS were assessed. To detect subtle haemorrhages, additional susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) was used in addition to conventional MRI to evaluate its clinical relevance. Neurodevelopment was tested by the Mental and Psychomotor Developmental Index (MDI/PDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II at a corrected age of 24 months.
Results: One hundred twenty-nine children with median GA of 28.1 weeks and median birth weight of 980 g were included. BPW significantly correlated with PDI (p= 0.01, R2 = 0.06) and TCD with MDI (p < 0.01, R2 = 0.05) and PDI (p < 0.01, R2 = 0.06) but explained variances were low. TAS was not predictive of neurodevelopmental outcome. By using SWI, additional 4 cases of low grade haemorrhages were identified compared to conventional sequences. In one case this additional information was clinically relevant (MDI/PDI below average).
Conclusion: Simple brain metrics and TAS did not reliably predict neurodevelopmental outcome in a cohort with low prevalence of high grade brain injury. The additional value of SWI is yet to be determined in larger cohorts. The combination of imaging and functional biomarkers may be advisable for the prediction of neurodevelopmental outcome.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000501799 | DOI Listing |
JAMA Netw Open
September 2025
Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Importance: Exposure to inflammation from chorioamnionitis places the fetus at higher risk of premature birth and may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental impairments, though the evidence for the latter is mixed.
Objective: To evaluate whether moderate to severe histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA) is directly associated with adverse motor performance, independent of the indirect mediating effects of premature birth.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This prospective, population-based cohort study recruited participants between September 16, 2016, and November 19, 2019, from referral and nonreferral neonatal intensive care units of 5 southwestern Ohio hospitals.
Anesthesiology
October 2025
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Background: Anesthetic exposure in young children raises concerns about neurodevelopmental safety, with preclinical evidence suggesting potential neurotoxicity of volatile anesthetics. This study aimed to assess whether the combination of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil, by reducing sevoflurane exposure, has any differential effect on neurodevelopmental outcomes in young children compared with sevoflurane alone.
Methods: This study was a prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trial including children younger than 2 yr undergoing nonstaged, nonrepetitive surgeries.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry
September 2025
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Background: Prospective studies of autism family history infants primarily report recurrence and predictors of autism at 3 years. Less is known about ADHD family history infants and later childhood outcomes. We characterise profiles of mid-childhood developmental and behavioural outcomes in infants with a family history of autism and/or ADHD to identify potential support needs and patterns of co-occurrence across domains.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
August 2025
Pediatric Nephrology, Hospital Pediátrico, Unidade Local de Saúde de Coimbra, Coimbra, PRT.
Introduction Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) is a rare condition caused by renal resistance to the action of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) at the level of the distal tubule, resulting in impaired urinary concentration and consequent polyuria. NDI may be hereditary, most commonly X-linked due to AVPR2 gene mutations, or acquired. Objective To characterize the clinical features, management strategies, and outcomes of patients with NDI followed at a tertiary pediatric nephrology center.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedicine (Baltimore)
September 2025
Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China.
Rationale: Weaver syndrome is a rare congenital overgrowth disorder characterized by a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations that often overlap with other overgrowth syndromes. It is primarily caused by pathogenic variants in the Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) gene on chromosome 7q36.1.
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