Portable Ultra-Low Field MRI is Sensitive to Distinct Profiles in Brain Development of Malnutrition and Nutritional Intervention

Motivation: The first years are essential for a child’s development and adverse factors, including malnutrition, can affect neurodevelopment and survival rates. Access to high-field MRI scanners in Sub-Saharan Africa is highly limited. Goal(s): To detect distinct profiles in brain development of malnutrition and nutritional intervention using ultra-low field MRI. Approach: We used ultra-low field MRI in a pediatric cohort in Uganda of 71 infants (<1.5 years) with and without history of malnourishment, imaged before and after receiving an intervention. Results: Using PACE brain-for-age growth percentiles, we demonstrate that ultra-low field MRI is sensitive to distinct profiles in brain development of malnutrition and nutritional intervention. Impact: The distinct profiles of early malnourishment on neurodevelopment and their changes after nutritional intervention derived by ultra-low field MRI could allow for more appropriate neurodevelopmental burden estimates in LMIC pediatric populations and support early intervention evaluation.