Dynamics of infant white matter maturation from birth to 6 months

The first months after a baby’s birth encompass the most rapid period of postnatal change in the human lifespan, but longitudinal trajectories of white matter maturation in this period remain uncharted. Using densely sampled diffusion tensor images collected longitudinally at a mean rate of 1 scan per 1.55 days, we measured non-linear growth and growth rate trajectories of major white matter tracts from birth to 6 months. Growth rates at birth were 6 to 11 times faster than at 6 months, with tracts less mature at birth developing fastest. When matched on chronological age, shorter gestation infants had less mature white matter at birth but faster growth rates than their longer gestation peers; however, growth trajectories were highly similar when corrected for gestational age. This is the first study to estimate white matter trajectories using dense sampling in the first 6 post-natal months, which can inform the study of neurodevelopmental disorders beginning in infancy.