Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Behcet Uz Child Disease
and Surgery Training and Research, Hospital, Izmir, Turkiye | Department of Pediatric Neurology, Dr. Behcet Uz Child
Disease and Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkiye
Abstract: Despite the significant advancements in perinatal care, it is not
clear whether or not the neurodevelopmental outcome in children with
intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) has improved in parallel with the declining
incidence of periventricular-IVH. In this study, we aimed to assess the
periventricular-IVH-induced mortality and morbidity rates, as well as the
short-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in premature infants. Two hundred and
sixty five patients who were admitted between September 2005 and May 2006 were
investigated for periventricular-IVH. Sixty-six patients with
periventricular-IVH were compared with 66 premature infants who were not
associated with hemorrhage. Of the periventricular-IVH diagnosed premature
infants, 59% were born at or before week 32, 61% had a body weight below
1500 g, and 24.9% had hemorrhage. In cases with periventricular-IVH, the
rates of premature retinopathy and periventricular leukomalacia were
significantly high (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant
relation between periventricular-IVH and mortality (P > 0.05) while the
relation between periventricular-IVH and neuromotor developmental retardation
was significant (P < 0.05). The outcome was poorer as the grade of
bleeding increased (P < 0.05). As a conclusion, regardless of risk
factors, periventricular-IVH is an important early indicator of
neurodevelopmental retardation, and those cases having such condition should be
always assessed with a neurodevelopmental evaluation. The detection of
neurodevelopmental retardation in short term with appropriate educational
strategy could be beneficial for long-term outcome.
