Introduction on Development, Maturation, and Vulnerability of the Neonatal Brain and Factors Contributing to Injury

The newborn brain is still very immature and undergoes rapid and essential changes. These changes include impressive growth, gyration, and sulcation (folding of the brain surface), myelination (the formation of an insulating layer around the nerve cell extensions), and the formation and pruning of connections between nerve cells and between brain structures. Because of this rapid brain development, the newborn brain is vulnerable to injury. This is especially true for babies born too early (preterm, prematurely), as many brain maturational processes that normally take place within the protective environment of the womb need to take place in an extra-uterine hospital environment.