MRI for preterm infants

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Performing MRI evaluations on preterm infants seems to be a bit of a growth industry. There are now numerous reports using a variety of techniques to identify grey and white matter abnormalities at different ages after birth. There is no question that MRI provides much more structural information than routine ultrasound examinations, performed primarily to identify intraventricular hemorrhages or to follow hydrocephalus. There also is no question that substantial abnormalities identified by MRI correlate with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. But, do all (or most) very low birth weight infants need an MRI at term or some later time? And what will the clinician do with that information? In this issue of The Journal, Brown et al report that clinical neurobehavioral assessments at term correlate with MRI abnormalities at term. Perhaps this result justifies screening of infants to decide which infant is likely to have MRI abnormalities.

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