MRI of the newborn brain

MRI is an essential tool in the assessment and care of term neonates with suspected brain injury. It also provides insights into brain development and injury in preterm infants. Successful neonatal brain imaging requires modifications to the hardware and sequences used in adults, particularly if using higher magnet strengths. Different types of sequences give information on the macroscopic and microscopic structure of the brain. Qualitative analysis can detect patterns of injury and provide valuable information on prognosis; quantitative analysis can give more detailed and subtle information of brain structures. MRI can be used as a biomarker of brain injury in term-born infants, enabling the efficacy of neuroprotective agents (e.g. hypothermia) to be assessed. Exciting recent developments in fetal imaging allow study of normal brain development even before birth.