LUMIERE on the PLACENTA : A Study on the Added Value of MRI

The frequency of IUGR is between 3 and 10% of births. The etiologies and mechanisms of IUGR are multiple. The placental insufficiency, that is the defect of perfusion, is, however, the principal mechanism, far in front of other maternal or fetal causes. This placental insufficiency is also now recognized as an essential risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, in adulthood. The interest in understanding in utero development is thus further increased by the short-, medium- and long-term consequences of placental dysfunction. However, there are few ways to evaluate uteroplacental vascularization in vivo. MRI is an imaging technique used routinely in the exploration of the fetus in addition to ultrasound. Its safety on the fetus and the mother is largely demonstrated at 1.5T. There are also MRI sequences used daily in the clinic to evaluate perfusion and organ structure in children and adults (brain, kidney, heart, etc.). Their application for evaluation of perfusion and placental structure, although still confined to research, is very promising. The investigator's team has extensive experience, in animals or in children, in the use of these sequences that could be used to evaluate placental function in vivo. The ASL (Arterial Spin Labeling) in particular is the most encouraging functional imaging technique because it allows today to measure an organ blood flow quantitatively and without injection of contrast medium.