MRI brain imaging in neonates

MRI is now commonly used in the assessment of neonates for diagnosis and prognosis. The advantages over ultrasound are increased contrast resolution, complete coverage and multiplanar imaging. MRI is most commonly used for the assessment of neonatal encephalopathy to determine an underlying cause such as hypoglycaemia, neonatal infarction, or viral encephalitis, and may also be useful in determining complications of meningitis and planning surgical treatment. In hypoxic-ischaemic injury, where the diagnosis is typically made clinically, MRI has conventionally confirmed the diagnosis and provided prognostic information. However advanced techniques such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy and arterial spin labelling allow for earlier diagnosis and may guide treatment options. MRI may also detect less common patterns of brain injury in term infants such as punctuate white matter lesion. Imaging of preterm infants at term equivalent age can demonstrate complications such as periventricular leucomalacia or periventricular haemorrhagic infarction and provide information on neurological outcome.