Scans chart how quickly babies brains grow
16 Aug BBC
Human brains grow most rapidly just after birth and reach half their
adult size within three months, according to a study in JAMA Neurology.
Using advanced scanning techniques, researchers found male brains
grew more quickly than those of female infants. Areas involved in
movement developed at the fastest pace. Those associated with memory
grew more slowly.Scientists say collating this data may help them
identify early signs of developmental disorders such as autism.For
centuries doctors have estimated brain growth using measuring tape to
chart a baby's head circumference over time.Any changes to normal growth
patterns are monitored closely as they can suggest problems with
development.But as head shapes vary, these tape measurements are not
always accurate.
Led by scientists at the University of California, researchers
scanned the brains of 87 healthy babies from birth to three months.They
saw the most rapid changes immediately after birth - newborn brains grew
at an average rate of 1% a day. This slowed to 0.4% per day at the end
of the 90-day period.Researchers say recording the normal growth
trajectory of individual parts of the brain might help them better
understand how early disorders arise.They found the cerebellum, an area
of the brain involved in the control of movement, had the highest rate
of growth doubling in size over the 90-day period.
The slowest region measured was the hippocampus, a structure that
plays an important part in how memories are made.Scientists suggest this
could mirror the relative significance of these skills as a young
infant.Dr Martin Ward Platt, a consultant paediatrician at the Royal
Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, who was not involved in the research,
told the BBC: “This is the first time anyone has published accurate data
about how babies’ brains grow that is not based on post-mortem studies
or less effective scanning methods.The study should provide us with
useful information as this is an important time in development.
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