Magnetic resonance imaging and the neonate

Practical planning to maintain premature infants' safety during magnetic resonance imaging: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) makes a significant contribution to diagnose brain injury in premature infants and is a diagnostic procedure that requires the infant to be taken out of the controlled environment established for growth and development. To ensure safe procedures for these vulnerable patients, practical planning and surveillance are paramount.

PURPOSE

This systematic review summarizes and evaluates the literature reporting on practical planning to maintain required safety for premature infants undergoing MRI.

METHODS

Literature identified through various search strategies was screened, abstracted, appraised, and synthesized through a descriptive analysis. Thirteen research studies, 2 quality improvement projects, and 10 other documents, including practice guidelines, general reviews and articles, a book chapter, and an editorial article, were retained for in-depth review.

CONCLUSIONS

Various procedures and equipment to ensure the safety of premature infants during MRI have been developed and tested. Although the results are promising and increasingly consistent, our review suggests that more research is needed before conclusive recommendations for the use of magnetic resonance-compatible incubators, the "feed-and-sleep" approach to avoid sedation, or the specific noise-cancelling ear protection for the premature infants' safety during MRI can be established.

Magnetic resonance imaging in preterm infants

MR imaging of the premature infant poses a number of challenges with regard to safety, sequence optimization and recognition of the normal appearances of the developing brain. In this paper we discuss these challenges, and review the common intracerebral abnormalities associated with premature birth. Although the outcome for very-low-birth-weight babies has improved over the last decade, there remains a significant risk of subsequent development of neurological disability. The relationship between MRI abnormalities and long-term outcome is considered.

Brain injury in the infant: the old, the new, and the uncertain

Although neonatal brain injury occurs most frequently after a perinatal hypoxic-ischemic insult, recently studies have noted that variable causes such as metabolic and reperfusion events can result in, or aggravate, a brain insult. Current data suggest that about 2 to 5 of 1,000 live births in the United States and more so in developing countries experience a brain injury Approximately 20% to 40% of infants who survive the brain injury develop significant neurological and developmental impairments. The resulting impact on the child, family, and society presents a formidable challenge to health care professionals. Although several important insights have been gained in the last several years about the epidemiology, diagnosis, and mechanism of brain injury, management remains mostly a cocktail of controversial trials. This article provides a comprehensive review of the pathology, clinical manifestations, and timely management of infants with brain injury.