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Preterm infants’ early growth and brain white matter maturation at term age

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Abstract

Background

Normal intrauterine conditions are essential to normal brain growth and development; premature birth and growth restriction can interrupt brain maturation. Maturation processes can be studied using diffusion tensor imaging.

Objective

The aim of this study was to use tract-based spatial statistics to assess the effect that early postnatal growth from birth to 40 gestational weeks has on brain white matter maturation.

Materials and methods

A total of 36 preterm infants were accepted in the study. Postnatal growth was assessed by weight, length and head circumference. Birth weight z-score and gestational age were used as confounding covariates.

Results

Head circumference catch-up growth was associated with less mature diffusion parameters (P < 0.05). No significant associations were observed between weight or length growth and diffusion parameters.

Conclusion

Growth-restricted infants seem to have delayed brain maturation that is not fully compensated at term, despite catch-up growth.

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Conflicts of interest

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Imaging Centre of Southwest Finland, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland

    Virva Lepomäki, Markku Komu & Riitta Parkkola

  2. Turku PET-Centre, Turku University Hospital, PO Box 52, 20521, Turku, Finland

    Virva Lepomäki & Riitta Parkkola

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Marika Leppänen, Jaakko Matomäki, Helena Lapinleimu & Liisa Lehtonen

  4. Department of Pediatric Neurology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Leena Haataja

  5. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Riitta Parkkola

  6. Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Päivi Rautava

  7. Turku Clinical Research Centre, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland

    Päivi Rautava

Authors
  1. Virva Lepomäki
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  2. Marika Leppänen
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  3. Jaakko Matomäki
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  4. Helena Lapinleimu
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  5. Liisa Lehtonen
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  6. Leena Haataja
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  7. Markku Komu
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  9. Riitta Parkkola
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the PIPARI study group

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Correspondence to Virva Lepomäki.

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Lepomäki, V., Leppänen, M., Matomäki, J. et al. Preterm infants’ early growth and brain white matter maturation at term age. Pediatr Radiol 43, 1357–1364 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-013-2699-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-013-2699-9

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