Frequency of peri-intraventricular hemorrhage and its associated factors in premature newborns.

Objective: To identify the frequency of intracranial hemorrhage and its associated factors in premature newborns.

Methods: A cross-sectional study based on a survey of medical records of premature neonates submitted to transfontanellar ultrasound at a hospital located in a southern neighborhood of the city of São Paulo, in 2007.

Results: A 50% rate of intracranial hemorrhage was found among premature newborns submitted to transfontanellar ultrasound, and 15.35% among all premature babies born in this hospital in 2007. The statistically significant factors associated to intracranial hemorrhage were gestational age less than 32 weeks, absence of prenatal care, invasive mechanical ventilation, infection, blood transfusion, hyaline membrane disease, hyponatremia and hyperglycemia.

Conclusions: The frequency of peri-intraventricular hemorrhage was 50% in patients at risk and 15.35% among all premature babies; the associated factors were gestational age less than 32 weeks, absence of prenatal care, need of invasive mechanical ventilation, infection, blood transfusion, hyaline membrane disease, hyponatremia and hyperglycemia.