Intracranial hemorrhage in the prematurely born infant. Timing of clots and evaluation of clinical signs and symptoms

Intraventricular hemorrhage is a frequent postmortem finding in the preterm infant with severe perinatal problems, often with respiratory distress. It is a late event, most probably secondary to perinatal circulatory disturbances related to central cerebral infarction. The bleeding occurs generally during the second or third day of life. Except for characteristic seizures, individual clinical signs and symptoms are of limited value for the timing of the bleeding, although in most instances the general clinical picture may accurately indicate the diagnosis of intraventricular hemorrhage.