Relationship between early brain damage in preterm infants detected by magnetic resonance imaging and neurodevelopmental outcome / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the relationship between early brain menifestation such as white matter damage and ventriculomegaly detected by magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and adverse neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants.Methods From March 15,2007 to April 12,2011,122 preterm infants accepted MRI examination 8-14 days after birth in Chinese People's Liberation Army 202 Hospital.Totally,115 preterm infants were followed up at 12 months old and mental development index(MDI) and psychomotor development index (PDI) score were measured.MDI＜70 was as mental dysfunction,-84 as borderline dysfunction and-114 as normal; PDI＜70 was as psychomotor dysfunction,-84 as borderline dysfunction and-114 as normal.The relationship between clinical characteristics of preterm infants,MRI abnormalities and neurodevelopmental outcome were analyzed by analysis of variance,LSD and Kruskal-Wallis H test.Results The 122 premature infants included 69 males and 53 females with the median gestational age of 32 weeks(28-36 weeks)and the median birth weight of 2050 g (1270-3110 g).In 24 premature infants with mentaldysfunction,the average gestational age [(28.7 ± 1.7) weeks],birth weight[(1520.1-44.8) g] and 1 min Apgar score (5.5 ± 0.8) were all lower than those in normal infants [n =59,(33.5 ± 2.2)weeks,(2240.4 ± 47.1) g and 7.1 ± 0.8],while the average mechanical ventilation time was longer [(20.4±5.8) dvs (5.6±2.7) d](t=2.37,2.49,2.13 and 2.44,P＜0.05).In 20 premature infants with psychomotor dysfunction,the average gestational age [(27.9 ±± 1.4) weeks],birth weight [(1515.6±43.7) g],1 min Apgar score (5.6t0.5) were lower than those in normal infants [n=62,(33.2±2.4) weeks,(2264.3±42.5) g and 7.2±0.6],while the mechanical ventilation time was longer [(18.2±4.7) dvs (5.3±2.2) d](t=2.28,2.52,2.09 and 2.38,P＜0.05).Among thirteen preterm infants with severe white matter damage,eleven and nine developed mental or psychomotor dysfunction respectively.Among eleven preterm infants with moderate and severe ventriculomegaly,seven and six developed mental or psychomotor dysfunction respectively.The more severe the white matter damage and ventriculomegaly,the higher the incidence of mental (H=16.23 and 14.33,P＜0.05) and psychomotor dysfuction (H =18.63 and 12.69,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions White matter damage is common in preterm infants.Prognosis of preterm infants with mental and psychomotor dysfunction is related with the degree of white matter damage and ventriculomegaly.