Fetal brain MRI to predict later development in babies with congenital heart defects
Official title: Fetal Brain MRI as a Predictor of Late Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Congenital Heart Disease
Funded at Boston Children's Hospital · NIH-11248333 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses MRI before birth to try to predict which babies with congenital heart defects might have learning or developmental challenges later.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $440,741 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS121334-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11248333 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people whose fetus has been diagnosed with congenital heart disease and who can attend a fetal MRI and long-term follow-up visits are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease, those unable to have MRI (for example due to incompatible implants or inability to travel), or those unwilling to return for follow-up visits are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you take part, your baby will have an MRI while still in the womb so researchers can look at brain structure and development. The team will follow your child through infancy, childhood, and adolescence with standardized tests of learning, behavior, and development. They will compare the early MRI features with later outcomes to find patterns that signal higher risk for developmental problems. The study links prenatal imaging with clinical heart data and long-term testing to help tailor monitoring and early support.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify at-risk children before birth so families and care teams can offer earlier monitoring and targeted early therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have found abnormal brain structure in newborns with congenital heart disease, but using fetal MRI to predict outcomes years later is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rollins, Caitlin — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Rollins, Caitlin
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.