Journal Article

Global and Regional Differences in Brain Anatomy of Young Children Born Small for Gestational Age

Boersma, Maria, Oostrom, Kim J., van den Heuvel, Martijn P., De Bie, Henrica M. A., Veltman, Dick J., Barkhof, Frederik, Delemarre-van de Waal, Henriette A.

2011

Overview

In children who are born small for gestational age (SGA), an adverse intrauterine environment has led to underdevelopment of both the body and the brain. The delay in body growth is (partially) restored during the first two years in a majority of these children. In addition to a negative influence on these physical parameters, decreased levels of intelligence and cognitive impairments have been described in children born SGA. In this study, we used magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain anatomy in 4- to 7-year-old SGA children with and without complete bodily catch-up growth and compared them to healthy children born appropriate for gestational age. Our findings demonstrate that these children strongly differ on brain organisation when compared with healthy controls relating to both global and regional anatomical differences. Children born SGA displayed reduced cerebral and cerebellar grey and white matter volumes, smaller volumes of subcortical structures and reduced cortical surface area. Regional differences in prefrontal cortical thickness suggest a different development of the cerebral cortex. SGA children with bodily catch-up growth constitute an intermediate between those children without catch-up growth and healthy controls. Therefore, bodily catch-up growth in children born SGA does not implicate full catch-up growth of the brain.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Age / Analysis of Variance / Anatomy / Biology / Body Height / Body Weight / Brain / Brain - anatomy & histology / Brain research / Breastfeeding & lactation / Cerebellum / Cerebellum - anatomy & histology / Cerebral cortex / Cerebral Cortex - anatomy & histology / Child / Child development / Child, Preschool / Children / Cognitive ability / Cognitive development / Cognitive impairment / Female / Gestational Age / Health risk assessment / Humans / Infant, Newborn / Infant, Small for Gestational Age - growth & development / Intelligence / Intrauterine exposure / Magnetic resonance / Magnetic resonance imaging / Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods / Male / Medicine / Neuroimaging / Neurosciences / NMR / Nuclear magnetic resonance / Pediatrics / Physical growth / Physical properties / Prefrontal cortex / Pregnancy / Regional development / Regional differences / Small for gestational age / Studies / Substantia alba / Teenagers