Jan. 16, 2013 Preterm infants who grow more slowly as they
approached what would have been their due dates also have slower
development in an area of the brain called the cerebral cortex,
report Canadian researchers in a new study published January 16
in Science Translational Medicine. The cerebral cortex is a two
to four millimetre layer of cells that envelopes the top part of
the brain and is involved in cognitive, behavioural, and motor
processes. Researchers analyzed MRI brain scans of 95 preterm
infants born eight to 16 weeks too early at BC Women's Hospital
& Health Centre between 2006 and 2009. Infants were scanned soon
after birth and a second time close to what would have been
their due date, the ninth month of pregnancy. These MRI scans
allowed researchers to measure the pattern of water movement
inside the brain, which normally changes between scans as the
brain matures. The researchers also assessed the babies' weight,
length, and head size. They found that preterm infants with
slower growth had d