Investigating if MRI scanning can pick up prenatal brain defects in congenital heart disease

MR of the brain in fetuses with congenital heart disease

Structural problems in the developing heart (congenital heart disease) are amongst the most common birth defects in the UK. Many children with heart defects also have problems with the development of their brain, potentially causing difficulty in controlling limbs, fits, or learning difficulties. This can sometimes be a side effect of treatment, but may also be linked to the heart defect and therefore be present before birth. These researchers want to improve the understanding and diagnosis of brain conditions in children with congenital heart disease. Ultrasound is good at spotting heart defects in unborn babies, but less good at identifying brain problems. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might be a better method to see structural details in the developing brain. This team will now undertake a study to use MRI scanning in checking the brain development of unborn babies with heart defects. They will see how much better MRI is than ultrasound at doing this job, and how many babies with heart problems also have brain defects. This important study will tell us whether women carrying a baby with a heart defect should be offered MRI scanning to check the infant’s brain. Early knowledge of possible neurological problems will help families prepare, and help doctors provide the very best treatment and care from birth.