Long-Term Neurodevelopmental and Growth Outcomes of Premature Infants Born at <29 week Gestational Age with Post-Hemorrhagic Hydrocephalus Treated with Ventriculo-Peritoneal Shunt.

Objective: To compare long-term neurodevelopmental and growth (NDG) outcomes at 3 y corrected gestational age (GA) in premature infants with grade ≥ III intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus who were treated with ventriculo-peritoneal shunt with those who were not treated with shunt.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, NDG outcomes were compared between preterm infants of <29 wk GA with IVH treated with shunt (IVHS) and IVH with no shunt (IVHNS). This was a single centre study. The primary outcome was moderate to severe cerebral palsy (CP).

Results: Of 1762 preterm infants who survived to discharge, 90 had grade ≥ III IVH. Infants in IVHS group had more grade IV IVH than IVHNS (p < 0.05). Seventy percent of the patients in IVHNS groups had no hydrocephalus. IVHS group had increased CP (76% vs. 30%; p 0.003), and higher odds of CP after controlling for GA and IVH grade [odds ratio (OR); 4.23 (1.38 to 13.00)]. Growth delay was not different between groups.

Conclusions: Infants with IVHS are at increased risk of CP but not growth delay.