Characterisation of The Microstructural Changes in The Brain Caused by Ventilation-Induced Injury in The Preterm Sheep Neonate, Using Clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Preterm infants are born prior to adequate development of the lungs, and often require resuscitation at delivery. While life-saving, it may result in inadvertent exposure of the newborn to injurious high tidal volumes in the delivery room which can injure the brain in the first hours after birth. Furthermore, it is thought that ongoing inflammation in the subsequent perinatal period can worsen this injury. Despite developments in neonatal medicine, knowledge of the mechanisms involved in these complex injuries remains elusive. This thesis aim to investigate the early brain injury caused by early ventilation–induced injury in the preterm lamb, using clinical 3T magnetic resonance imaging.