Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Preterm neonates are at risk for neurodevelopmental impairment, but reliable, bedside-available markers to monitor preterm brain growth during hospital stay are still lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of corpus callosum–fastigium length as a new cranial sonography marker for monitoring of preterm brain growth.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this longitudinal prospective cohort study, cranial ultrasound was planned on the day of birth, days 1, 2, 3, and 7 of life; and then weekly until discharge in preterm infants born before 29 weeks of gestational age. Reproducibility and associations between clinical variables and corpus callosum–fastigium growth trajectories were studied.
RESULTS: A series of 1–8 cranial ultrasounds was performed in 140 infants (median gestational age at birth, 27+2 weeks (interquartile range, 26+1 to 28+1; 57.9% male infants). Corpus callosum–fastigium measurements showed good-to-excellent agreement for inter- and intraobserver reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.89). Growth charts for preterm infants between 24 and 32 weeks of gestation were developed. Male sex and birth weight SD score were positively associated with corpus callosum–fastigium growth rate.
CONCLUSIONS: Corpus callosum–fastigium length measurement is a new reproducible marker applicable for bedside monitoring of preterm brain growth during neonatal intensive care stay.
Abbreviations
- BW
- birth weight
- CC
- corpus callosum
- CCF
- corpus callosum–fastigium
- CUS
- cranial ultrasound
- GA
- gestational age
- HELLP
- hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count
- NICU
- neonatal intensive care unit
- © 2016 American Society of Neuroradiology