Neuroimaging of the Preterm Brain: Review and Recommendations

Abstract

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) recommendations for “Routine neuroimaging of the preterm brain” focuses on cranial ultrasound (cUS) screening, initially for the diagnosis of germinal matrix-intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH-IVH) and subsequently for detection of brain injury for preterm infants within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).1 The report does not recommend routine use of MRI, but offers evidence-based indications for each modality and discusses offering MRI to high-risk infants at term equivalent age (TEA) after a conversation with the family concerning the ability of this imaging modality to predict long-term prognosis.