Brain Imaging in Babies (BIBS)

A single MRI scan of a baby’s brain, taken before or just after birth, could reveal how infections and genetics shape development over the next four years. This matters because the earliest stages of brain development are poorly understood, yet they set the foundation for lifelong mental health. Infections during pregnancy are common, and conditions like autism and ADHD often run in families, but researchers lack clear data on how these factors interact in real time. The Brain Imaging in Babies (BIBS) study at King’s College London is filling that gap by scanning fetal, neonatal, and infant brains, then tracking the same children for three to four years. The team also analyses genes, hormones such as Vitamin D, and immune molecules that respond to infection. Since 2020, the study has included testing for COVID-19 in mothers and babies, offering a rare window into how a specific pandemic virus affects the developing brain. If successful, this research will not produce an immediate treatment or diagnostic tool. It is fundamental science: building a detailed, longitudinal map of normal and atypical brain development. That map could eventually help clinicians identify early signs of neurodevelopmental conditions, or guide public health advice on infection management during pregnancy.