Abstract
Background
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful, non-invasive tool for both clinical
practice and research. Though the safety of MRI has been endorsed by many professional
societies and government bodies, some concerns have remained about potential risk
from prenatal MRI. Case-control animal studies of MRI scanning during gestation and
effects on offspring are the most direct test available for potential risks. Herein,
we provide a meta-analysis of extant animal studies of prenatal MRI examining reproductive
and offspring outcomes.
Methods
Relevant articles were identified through PubMed search and citation searching of
known articles and review papers. Eighteen relevant studies were identified with case-control
designs of prenatal scanning conducted in vivo with mammalian species using MRI-relevant
field strength. Standardized mean difference effect sizes were analyzed across k=81
outcomes assessed across n=649 unexposed dams, n=622 exposed dams, n=3031 unexposed
offspring, n=3378 exposed offspring, using a multi-level meta-analysis approach that
clustered effect sizes within publication.
Results
The meta-analysis indicated no significant evidence for an effect of prenatal MRI
(SMD=0.17, 95% CI=[-0.19,0.54], t=0.94, p=.35) across outcomes. Similarly, no effects
were observed when separately examining the four most commonly assessed outcomes:
birth weight, litter size, fetal viability, and physical malformations (p>.05).
Conclusions
Case-control mammalian animal studies indicate no significant known risks of prenatal
MRI to reproductive outcomes or offspring development. This is largely mirrored in
human research, though the lack of randomized case-control designs limits direct comparison.
The current findings provide additional support to the prevailing consensus that prenatal
MRI poses no known risk to offspring.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 2,
2023
Received in revised form:
January 30,
2023
Received:
November 21,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofFootnotes
Financial Disclosures: All authors (DP, XC, TJS) reported no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2023 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
