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The subplate is critical to the normal development of the cerebral cortex. Injury to subplate neurons in the fetal brain, as postulated in periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), may contribute to the cognitive disabilities in premature infants. In this study, we sought to determine the normative developmental profile of subplate neurons during late gestation and early infancy, when cortical organization and axonal elongation are actively underway, and the cerebral white matter is most vulnerable to PVL. We studied subplate neurons in the parietal lobe in 4 cases from 27 gestational weeks to 13 postnatal months. We used immunocytochemical methods with antibodies to microtubule‐associated protein (MAP)‐2, combined with computer‐based, quantitative/graphic methods. Subplate neurons displayed six morphological subtypes which were identified as early as 27 weeks. The proportion and spatial distribution of the subtypes changed with increasing gestational age, in association with a dramatic reduction in overall subplate neuronal number. The predominance of granular and unipolar neurons in the periventricular region suggests that these two subtypes may be especially susceptible to injury in PVL because they localize to the region of most severe white matter damage. This study lays the foundation for further analysis of the effect of PVL on the critical period of subplate neuronal development.

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