Postmenstrual age-adjusted brain volumes and their association with early neurodevelopmental outcomes in very low birth weight infants

Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants are at a higher risk of developmental abnormalities, making early prediction essential for timely intervention. Brain MRI performed at near-term age is one of the key tools for predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the association between Postmenstrual Age-Adjusted brain volume, as measured by MRI, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in VLBW infants at corrected 12 to 18 months of age. Brain MRIs from 118 infants were analyzed. Brain volumes were adjusted to a postmenstrual age of 40 weeks, and z-scores were calculated to categorize the infants into groups with larger and smaller brain volumes. Neurodevelopmental assessment using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition, was performed in 75 infants. After adjusting for sex, cerebellar volume showed significant associations with all domains of development-cognitive, language, and motor. Total brain and cerebral volumes were significantly associated with language and motor outcomes, while differences in cerebellar volume between groups were particularly associated with language development. These findings underscore the importance of cerebellar growth, along with global and cerebral brain development, in shaping early neurodevelopmental trajectories of VLBW infants.