1 Postgraduate Student, Department Of Radiodiagnosis, Chettinad Hospital And Research Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: madhavibindhu1107@gmail.com
2* Professor And Head, Department Of Radiodiagnosis, Chettinad Hospital And Research Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: dralexdaniel@hotmail.com
3 Senior Resident, Department Of Radiodiagnosis, Chettinad Hospital And Research Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: sathyanarenhere@gmail.com
Corresponding Author: Dr. Alex Daniel Prabhu, Professor And Head, Department Of Radiodiagnosis, Chettinad Hospital And Research Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: dralexdaniel@hotmail.com
Background: Preterm infants are at increased risk of brain injury due to the vulnerability of the developing brain to hypoxic, inflammatory, and hemodynamic insults. Mri at term-equivalent age is a sensitive modality for detecting structural brain abnormalities and assessing maturation.
Objective: To evaluate the association of maternal and neonatal factors with cerebral mri findings in preterm infants at term-equivalent age.
Methodology: This cross-sectional was conducted in a tertiary care center and included 39 preterm infants (<37 weeks gestation) who underwent brain mri at term-equivalent age (37–42 weeks postmenstrual age). Maternal & neonatal variables were analysed and found association with mri findings. Mri findings were categorized as normal or abnormal, with abnormalities further classified into white matter, gray matter, cerebellar, and ventricular/extra-axial changes. Statistical analysis was performed using appropriate tests, with p < 0.05 considered significant.
Results: Of the 39 infants, 13 (33.3%) showed abnormal mri findings, with white matter injury being the most common. Clinical chorioamnionitis was significantly associated with abnormal mri findings (46.2% vs 11.5%, p = 0.02). Neonates with abnormal mri had significantly lower gestational age (30.3 ± 2.8 vs 33.4 ± 2.7 weeks, p = 0.002) and birth weight (1840 ± 360 vs 2270 ± 390 g, p = 0.003). Duration of mechanical ventilation was also significantly higher in the abnormal mri group (7.8 ± 6.5 vs 1.3 ± 2.5 days, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Both antenatal inflammatory factors and neonatal clinical variables significantly influence cerebral mri abnormalities in preterm infants. Mri at term-equivalent age is a valuable tool for early detection and risk stratification, enabling timely neurodevelopmental follow-up.
Keywords: Preterm Infants, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Term-Equivalent Age, White Matter Injury, Neonatal Brain Injury, Neurodevelopmental Outcomes.
How To Cite This Article: Bindhu Madhavi M, Alex Daniel Prabhu, Sathyanarayanan V. Association Of Maternal And Neonatal Factors With Cerebral Mri Findings In Preterm Infants At Term-Equivalent Age. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(4):351. Doi: 10.25258/ijddt.16.4.37