MR Imaging of Normal Brain Development

Normal brain development is best evaluated by MR imaging in the fetal and pediatric patient. As the developing brain grows, myelinates, and sulcates rapidly, understanding the normal appearance of the brain throughout development is critical. The fetal brain can be evaluated by MR imaging after 16 weeks gestational age, both morphologically and biometrically. Sulcation of the fetal brain lags behind premature neonates of equivalent gestational age. Sensory axons generally myelinate before motor axons with central to peripheral and dorsal to ventral myelination gradients. By 2 years of age, the brain has a near adult appearance by conventional anatomic MR imaging.