Lung and heart development after extreme premature birth
Trajectories of Regional Cardiopulmonary Structure and Function in A Longitudinal Cohort of Extremely Preterm Infants
This project follows children born extremely early to learn how their lungs and heart grow by school age using advanced MRI scans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cincinnati, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11308241 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a parent of a child born very prematurely, this project would bring your child in for detailed MRI scans and check-ups to watch how their lungs and heart develop between infancy and about 6–8 years old. Researchers will use cutting-edge proton and hyperpolarized-gas MRI techniques to map regional lung structure and function and link those findings to heart measurements and clinical history. The work builds on an existing group of preterm children already followed at Cincinnati Children’s and will compare children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia or steroid exposure to peers. Findings will be tracked over time to spot changes during a key period of lung growth when interventions might help most.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children born extremely preterm (generally before 30 weeks’ gestation), especially those with bronchopulmonary dysplasia or who received postnatal steroids, around 6–8 years old are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children born at term with no history of prematurity or lung disease are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify children at higher risk for long-term lung or heart problems earlier so clinicians can target monitoring and treatments sooner.
How similar studies have performed: Previous imaging studies have found lung and heart differences after preterm birth, but detailed longitudinal MRI tracking at early school age using hyperpolarized-gas methods is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Cincinnati, United States
- Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr — Cincinnati, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hysinger, Erik Bradford — Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr
- Study coordinator: Hysinger, Erik Bradford
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 below.