Analysis of the Maturation of the Median Nerve in Preterm-Born Children During the First 3 Years of Life Using High-Resolution Nerve Ultrasound Imaging.

AIM: To compare the development of the peripheral nervous systems of preterm- and term-born children from birth to 3 years of age by imaging the median nerve. METHODS: Measuring the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve at three locations along the arm in term-born (control group) and preterm-born children (study group) using high-resolution ultrasound imaging. RESULTS: The data revealed a steady myelination that follows a logarithmic curve when considering the increase of the CSA of the median nerve relative to body surface area (BSA) in preterm-born children. Therefore, while the CSA of the median nerve was smaller in premature babies at the time of birth, the maturation of the nerve is comparable for preterm- and term-born children. INTERPRETATION: This study analyzed how the peripheral nervous system of preterm children develops compared to full-term children and found no differences in terms of median nerve development. Further, these findings align with previous research documenting a logarithmic increase in the CSA of the median nerve with age in full-term infants. This research could be helpful for enabling the use of high-resolution ultrasound imaging as a diagnostic tool for the peripheral nervous system of premature infants.