Lack of Progression of Intraventricular Hemorrhage in PrematureInfants: Implications for Head Ultrasound Screening

摘要

Very preterm infants are at risk for germinal matrix hemorrhage- intraventricularhemorrhage (GH-IVH). Severe GH-IVH may cause death or severe neurodevelopmentaldisability while mild GH-IVH is considered a static, non-progressive disease.This retrospective study aimed to determine if infants with no GH-IVH or mildGH-IVH on initial screening head ultrasound (HUS) advanced to severe GH-IVH. Atotal of 353 eligible infants with birth gestational age ≤32 0/7 weeks whoreceived a HUS during hospitalization were identified. Of the 343 (97%) infantswho had mild GH-IVH (grade II or less) on initial screening, only 4 (1.2%)progressed to severe (grade III or IV). Each of these infants requiredmechanical ventilation for at least 40 days. Therefore, premature infants whohave no GH-IVH or mild GH-IVH on initial routine screening HUS without otherrisk factors may not require follow-up HUSs. Infants with prolonged mechanicalventilation may require further screening despite reassuring initial HUSfindings.