Cape Town - 2026 ISMRM-ISMRT Annual Meeting and Exhibition
9 May 2026 – 14 May 2026 · Cape Town, South Africa
606-03-001 ISMRM Abstract

Antenatal Maternal Anaemia and Infant Brain Structure: High (3T) and Ultra-Low-Field (64mT) MRI Findings from South Africa

Primary: Pediatrics - Neuro
Secondary: Neuro - Development
606-03-001 · Low Field MRI Applications · Thursday, 14 May, 4:00 PM–5:50 PM · Auditorium 2
Keywords: High-Field MRI Ultra-Low-Field MRI Low and middle-income country (LMICs) Antenatal maternal anaemia Infant brain volume
Accepted
Jessica E Ringshaw 1,2,3, Michal M Zieff1, Niall J Bourke3, Chiara Casella4,5, Layla Bradford1,2, Simone R Williams1,2, Donna Herr1, Marlie Miles1,2, Carly Bennallick3, Khula South Africa Data Collection Team1, Sean Deoni6, Jonathan O'Muircheartaigh4,5,7, Dan Stein2,8, Daniel C Alexander9, Derek K Jones10, Steven C Williams3, Kirsten A Donald1,2
1Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
2Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
3Centre For Neuroimaging Sciences, Department of Neuroimaging, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
4Research Department of Early Life Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
5Department for Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
6Maternal, Newborn, Child Nutrition and Health (MNCH) Discovery and Translational (D&T) Sciences Program, Gates Foundation, Seattle, United States of America
7Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, United Kingdom, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
8South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, South Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
9Hawkes Institute, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
10Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Presenting Author: Jessica E Ringshaw

Synopsis

Motivation:
Goals:
Approach:
Results:
Full abstract & presentation

The full text, figures, and any recorded presentation for this abstract are not shown here. Log in if you are a member or registered attendee with access.

Full abstracts, figures, and presentations for Cape Town - 2026 ISMRM-ISMRT Annual Meeting and Exhibition are available to registered attendees. This content becomes freely available to the public roughly two years after the meeting.

To request or purchase access, contact the ISMRM Central Office at info@ismrm.org.

Log in

References

1. Wedderburn CJ, Ringshaw JE, Donald KA, et al. Association of Maternal and Child Anemia With Brain Structure in Early Life in South Africa. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5(12): e2244772-e. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.44772 [doi]
2. Ringshaw JE, Hendrikse CJ, Wedderburn CJ, et al. Persistent impact of antenatal maternal anaemia on child brain structure at 6–7 years of age: a South African child health study. BMC Med 2025; 23: 94. doi: 10.1186/s12916-024-03838-6 [doi]
3. Abate F, Adu-Amankwah A, Ae-Ngibise K, et al. UNITY: A low-field magnetic resonance neuroimaging initiative to characterize neurodevelopment in low and middle-income settings. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 69: 101397. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101397 [doi]
4. Ringshaw JE, Bourke NJ, Zieff MR, et al. Feasibility and Validity of Ultra-Low-Field MRI for Measurement of Regional Infant Brain Volumes in Structures Associated with Antenatal Maternal Anemia. medRxiv 2025: 2025.06. 10.25329262. doi: 10.1101/2025.06.10.25329262 [doi]
5. Zieff MR, Miles M, Mbale E, et al. Characterizing developing executive functions in the first 1000 days in South Africa and Malawi: The Khula Study. Wellcome Open Research 2024; 9(157): 157. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19638.1 [doi]
6. WHO. Guideline on haemoglobin cutoffs to define anaemia in individuals and populations: World Health Organization; 2024.
7. Casella C, Leknes A, Bourke NJ, et al. MiniMORPH: A Morphometry Pipeline for Low-Field MRI in Infants. medRxiv 2025: 2025.07. 01.25330469. doi: 10.1101/2025.07.01.25330469 [doi]

Cite this abstract

http://echo.ismrm.org/p/ISMRM2026/606-03-001