Most preemies already get at least one brain scan. That’s because national guidelines recommend that preemies’ doctors perform a cranial ultrasound seven to 14 days after birth to look for immediate problems such as bleeding into the brain. (Ultrasound is a good fit for the needs of fragile infants: Babies’ fontanelles provide “acoustic windows” to the brain, and ultrasound is non-invasive, uses no radiation, requires no sedation, and can be performed with a portable scanner brought to the bedside.) Some prior research has shown that these early scans can also give information about an infant’s risk of cognitive, motor and behavioral deficits or delays in childhood, but the predictive value of these early scans can be fairly low. The new study examined both cranial ultrasound and MRI performed close to the baby’s due date, which is also when most preemies are ready to go home from the hospital. A lot changes in the brain during those first few weeks, perhaps explaining why later scans did a significantly better job of predicting which children would have persistent neurodevelopmental problems when the doctors checked in with them at 18 to 22 months of age. - See more at: scopeblog.stanford.edu/2014/12/01/stanford-led-study-suggests-changes-to-brain-scanning-guidelines-for-preemies/#sthash.soi4Mh88.dpuf #preemie #nicu
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 20:06:20 +0000
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