Stressful pregnancies can leave fingerprint on fetal brain
When a diagnosis of fetal congenital heart disease causes pregnant moms to test positive for stress, imaging can detect impaired fetal brain development.
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Novel approach to detect fetal growth restriction
Morphometric and textural analyses of magnetic resonance imaging can point out subtle architectural deviations associated with fetal growth restriction during the second half of pregnancy, a first-time finding that has the promise to lead to earlier intervention.
Researchers receive $2.5M grant to optimize brain development in babies with CHD
Children’s National researchers have been awarded a $2.5 million, three-year grant from the NIH to study an innovative treatment to optimize brain development in babies with CHD after cardiac surgery.
Early lipids in micropreemies’ diets can boost brain growth
Dietary lipids, already an important source of energy for tiny preemies, also provide a much-needed brain boost by significantly increasing global brain volume as well as increasing volume in regions involved in motor activities and memory, according to research presented during the Pediatric Academic Societies 2019 Annual Meeting.
Breastfeeding boosts metabolites important for brain growth
Micro-preemies who primarily consume breast milk have significantly higher levels of metabolites important for brain growth and development, according to sophisticated imaging conducted by an interdisciplinary research team at Children’s National.
To understand the preterm brain, start with the fetal brain
Too often, medical institutions erect an artificial boundary between caring for the developing fetus inside the womb and caring for the newborn whose critical brain development continues outside the womb.
Safeguarding fetal brain health in pregnancies complicated by CHD
Yao Wu, Ph.D., a research postdoctoral fellow in the Developing Brain Research Laboratory at Children’s National Health System, has received a Thrasher Research Fund early career award to expand knowledge about regions of the fetal brain that are vulnerable to injury from congenital heart disease (CHD) during pregnancy. CHD, the most common birth defect, can […]
Brain food for preemies
Babies born prematurely – before 37 weeks of pregnancy – often have a lot of catching up to do. Not just in size. Preterm infants typically lag behind their term peers in a variety of areas as they grow up, including motor development, behavior and school performance. New research suggests one way to combat this […]
GABA concentration in pre-term brain increases with gestational age
The major neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate are pivotal to fetal and newborn brain development and influence evolution of brain injury and repair following preterm birth. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) enables in vivo measurement of brain metabolites. However, GABA and glutamate are found in the developing brain in low concentrations, and their weak signal […]
MRI opens new understanding of fetal growth restriction
A team of researchers has found that quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can identify pregnancies where placental dysfunction results in fetal growth restriction (FGR), creating the possibility for earlier FGR detection and intervention to augment placental function and thus minimize harm to the fetal brain. The study, published online in the Journal of Perinatology, reports […]
Tracking preemies’ blood flow to monitor brain maturation
Blood is the conduit through which our cells receive much of what they need to grow and thrive. The nutrients and oxygen that cells require are transported by this liquid messenger. Getting adequate blood flow is especially important during the rapid growth of gestation and early childhood – particularly for the brain, the weight of […]
Brain impairment in newborns with CHD prior to surgery
Newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) requiring open-heart surgery face a higher risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities, yet prior studies had not examined whether functional brain connectivity is altered in these infants before surgery. Findings from a Children’s National Health System study of this question suggest the presence of brain dysfunction early in the lives of […]
Understanding the long-term consequences of prematurity
Premature birth, a condition that affects approximately 10 percent of births in the United States, often is accompanied by health problems ranging from difficulties breathing and eating to long-term neurocognitive delays and disabilities. However, the reasons for these problems have been unclear. In a study published online Aug. 15, 2017 in Scientific Reports, a team […]
A closer look at the placenta to predict FGR
Early in development, cells from the fertilized egg form the placenta, a temporary organ that serves as an interface between the mother and her growing offspring. When things go right, as occurs in the vast majority of pregnancies, the placenta properly delivers nutrients from the mother’s diet and oxygen from the air she breathes to […]
Breast milk helps white matter in preemies
Breast-feeding offers a slew of benefits to infants, including protection against common childhood infections and potentially reducing the risk of chronic health conditions such as asthma, obesity and type 2 diabetes. These benefits are especially important for infants born prematurely, or before 37 weeks gestation – a condition that affects 1 in 10 babies born […]
The brain’s fluid-filled spaces during growth
The human brain is not one solid mass. Buried within its gray and white matter are a series of four interconnected chambers, called ventricles, which produce cerebrospinal fluid. These ventricles are readily apparent on the fetal ultrasounds that have become the standard of prenatal care in the United States and most developed countries around the […]
Setting a baseline for healthy brain development
Catherine Limperopoulos, PhD, directs Children’s National Developing Brain Research Laboratory in the Division of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology.
Altered blood flow may contribute to preemie brain injuries
Advanced noninvasive imaging permitted Children’s National Health System researchers to measure the lasting impact of abnormalities in blood flow on the immature brains of premature babies. Blood flow to the brain, or perfusion, has been studied previously to understand its role in other health conditions, but this is the first time a research team has […]
Premature birth may alter critical cerebellar development linked to learning and language
Premature birth can interrupt a key period of brain development that occurs in the third trimester, which has the potential to impact a child’s long-term learning, language, and social skills. A recent case-control study published in The Journal of Pediatrics applied diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) to zoom in on the microstructures comprising the […]
McGill honors Children’s director of Developing Brain Research Lab
McGill Publications has awarded Catherine Limperopoulos, Ph.D., director of the Developing Brain Research Laboratory at Children’s National Health System, with a Medicine Alumni Global Award. She is receiving the School of Physical & Occupational Therapy Alumni Award of Merit. This award is given annually.
