Fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is well established as a key diagnostic tool in advanced fetal assessment, complementing obstetric ultrasound and enabling a more detailed characterisation of many fetal pathologies. Although ultrasound remains the first-line technique, fetal MRI offers several substantial advantages: it provides excellent tissue contrast resolution, does not use ionising radiation, is safe in clinical practice and overcomes common ultrasound limitations such as maternal obesity, unfavourable fetal positioning or low amniotic fluid volume.
The added value of this technique lies in its capacity to offer high-quality anatomical and functional information,1 contributing to a more precise diagnosis, improving the prognostic guidance and, in many cases, guiding decision making both during pregnancy and in planning perinatal management.
Fetal MRI is not only useful for diagnosis, it also has a direct impact on prognostic guidance and planning in antenatal and postnatal follow-up. In some cases, the information obtained through this technique enables clinicians to tailor obstetric management, determining the timing of delivery and guiding fetal interventions.
Fetal MRI is indicated for a broad array of clinical situations. This series includes articles on fetal central nervous system (CNS) pathologies, head and neck abnormalities, and fetal cardiothoracic or abdominal pathologies, all authored by expert paediatric radiologists in their respective fields.
Articles address the most relevant aspects of fetal pathologies for each area, taking a clinical and educational approach. These are not exhaustive reviews in the manner of comprehensive reference works, they are rigorous updates that combine scientific evidence, clinical experience and a practical perspective tailored to the everyday practice of professionals. With this approach, the series seeks to be a useful guide both for radiologists in training as well as specialists who want to update their knowledge in an ever-changing field.
Together, these articles offer a broad and balanced journey through the principle clinical applications of fetal MRI, tracing how this technique has evolved from being a resource reserved for exceptional cases to establish itself as a pillar in antenatal diagnostics able to modify clinical guidance and bring certainty to decision making. Furthermore, the series reflects the importance of continuing professional development and interdisciplinary collaboration—between radiologists, obstetricians, paediatricians and neonataologists—to harness the full potential of this tool.2
Like other series published previously by Radiología, this initiative reflects the journal’s commitment to publishing timely content of high scientific quality that can be applied to clinical practice. In this case, it looks to a rapidly expanding field that requires advanced technical knowledge3 as well as sensitivity to the clinical and family context in which each diagnosis takes place.
We hope that this series works both as a valuable educational tool and as an invitation to reflect on the role of radiology in modern perinatal medicine. Fetal MRI is a clear example of how a specialty contributes decisively to individualised medicine by offering a more precise, earlier diagnosis, enabling better newborn care and providing families with more certainty in their decision making. We hope that readers will find the series to be a valuable tool in their daily practice and a source of inspiration to continue exploring new frontiers in fetal radiology.
CRediT authorship contribution statementResearch co-ordinator, conception, design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, literature review, drafting, critical review of the manuscript with intellectually relevant contributions and approval of the final version: María Isabel Martínez León.
FundingThis research has not received funding support from public sector agencies, the business sector or any non-profit organisations.
The author declares that they have no conflicts of interest.
