Negative Impacts of Germinal Matrix-ventricular Hemorrhage on Fetal Brain Development

Motivation: Fetal GMH-IVH has varying degrees of impact on pregnancy outcomes, but its developmental impacts are still unclear. Goal(s): To quantitatively investigate impacts of GMH-IVH on prenatal and postnatal brain development. Approach: Imaging data from 42 fetuses with GMH-IVH were retrospectively used. Deep learning-enhanced image processing techniques were employed to quantify fetal brain morphological features, which were compared between abnormal and 1269 healthy fetuses across gestational weeks. Results: Significant ventricular enlargement and notably smaller gray matter volume were identified in GMH-IVH fetuses, along with a markedly lower rate of white matter development in surviving infants compared to healthy controls. Impact: This study used a large dataset to clarify the negative consequence of GMH-IVH on prenatal and postnatal brain development, which can lead to improved diagnosis, management strategies, and potentially better outcomes for affected fetuses and infants.