Brainstem and cerebellar volumes at magnetic resonance imaging are smaller in fetuses with congenital heart disease.

Background: Congenital heart disease is associated with an increased risk of smaller brain volumes and structural brain damage, and impaired growth of supratentorial brain structures in utero has been linked to poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, little is known on brainstem and cerebellar volumes in fetuses with congenital heart disease. Moreover, it is not clear whether impaired infratentorial growth, if present, is associated with only certain types of fetal cardiac defects or with supratentorial brain growth, and whether altered biometry is already present before the third trimester.