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DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1059646
A STUDY OF BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS BY COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
Publikationsverlauf
Publikationsdatum:
19. März 2008 (online)
Abstract
Follow up study was conducted by brain CT scans on fullterm and premature infants
for a period of 3 years following birth. The results were:
1. Low density areas were observed symmetrically in the frontal region in premature
infants for 3 to 4 months after birth. However, they disappeared after 44 weeks of
postconceptional age irrespective of either gestational age or birth weight.
2. At 40 to 56 weeks postconceptional age extracerebral space was most frequently
found. The extracerebral space was found to exist longer in proportion to the shortness
of gestational age and to a lower birth weight.
3. Some infants in the group who showed definite extracerebral space required persistent
artificial ventilation for a long period. This may indicate that could exist a relationship
between the occurrence of this particular space and hypoxia.
4. We consider that the extracerebral space in CT scan can be a useful parameter
to assess the process of brain growth in premature infants.
Key words
Brain development - CT scan - low-birth-weight infants