title: Insights into early brain development from modern brain imaging and outcome studies.
abstract: Recent brain imaging and outcome studies of infants born at very early gestation have cast new light on brain development at a vulnerable stage. Some of these new developments are reviewed in this editorial.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The anatomical differences between the brains of babies born extremely prematurely and those born at term appear to translate into disturbances of function. The challenge for paediatricians is to discover the causes, with the aim of promoting normal brain development.
authors.affiliation: School of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. a.m.weindling@liverpool.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weindling
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging