All issues > Volume 48(1); 2005

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2005;48(1):27-33. Published online January 15, 2005.

Intrauterine Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Premature Infants

Hyun-Seung HS Jin¹, Kyeng-Ah KA Park¹, Hyun-Woo HW Goo², Jong-Hyun JH Yoon², Ellen Ai-Rhan EA Kim¹, Ki-Soo KS Kim¹, Soo-Young SY Pi¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Ellen Ai-Rhan EA Kim ,Email: arkim@amc.seoul.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: To determine incidence, characteristics and risk factors associated with intrauterine intraventricular hemorrhage(IU-IVH) among premature infants.
Methods
: The medical records of infants with intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH) admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Asan Medical Center from January 1999 to June 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. Infants whose IVH with cystic change were detected within five days of life were defined as the IU-IVH group. The control group included those without any IVH. Various maternal and neonatal factors were evaluated between the IU-IVH and control groups, and risk factors for IU-IVH were identified using multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results
: The incidence of IU-IVH was 49/1024(15.9%). Mothers who are younger, primiparous, use less antenatal steroid, and neonates with greater incidence of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, had higher incidences of IU-IVH compared to neonates with normal neurosonography. Risk factors associated with IU-IVH included neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and placenta infarct by placenta biopsy. Most infants with IU-IVH were ≥1,501 g, ≥34 weeks gestational age and had low grade IVH. The size of the cysts associated with IU-IVH remained the same or disappeared in 96 %. IU-IVH does not seem to affect short-term neurodevelopmental outcome although a longer period of follow-up is needed. Conculusion : IU-IVH occurred mostly in ≥1,501 g, ≥34 weeks infants with grade I IVH without developmental delays. However, the high incidence of total IVH merits more attention in terms of awareness of its existence as an unusual IVH among premature infants.

Keywords :Intraventricular hemorrhage, Intrauterine, Cystic change, Risk factors , Prematurity