Neurodevelopmental outcomes of premature infants with severe intraventricular hemorrhage

AbstractObjective: Our objective was to determine the neurodevelopmental outcome at 18–24 months’ of corrected age (CA) in preterm infants with severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all preterm infants who were <37 weeks’ gestation, had Grade 3–4 IVH, were admitted between January 2009 and December 2010 and discharged. The cohort was divided into three groups. Group 1 was defined as infants born with a birth weight (BW) less than 1000 g, group 2 was defined as infants born with a BW between 1000 and 1500 g and group 3 was defined as infants born with a BW between 1501 and 2500 g. Severe IVH was defined as the presence of grade 3–4 IVH on cranial ultrasound. Cranial ultrasound was performed in the first week of life and subsequently at weekly intervals by a radiologist. A comprehensive assessment including hearing, vision, neurological and developmental evaluation with Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second edition was performed by the experienced r...