incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage and post hemorrhagic hydrocephalus in preterm infants

germinal matrix-intraventricular hemorrhage (ivh) is the most common variety of neonatal intracranial hemorrhage and is characteristics of the premature infant. the importance of the lesion relates not only to its high incidence but to their attendant complications (ic: hydrocephalus). brain sonography is the procedure of choice in diagnosis of germinal matrix- intraventricular hemorrhage and hydrocephalus. in this study we have used brain sonography for detection of intraventricular hemorrhage and post hemorrhagic hydrocephalus and their incidences. the studied population was consisted of premature neonate (birth weight equal or less than 1500g and gestational age equal or less than 37 weeks) who admitted in mofid hospital nicu (tehran, iran) during a one year period. for all neonate (including criteria) brain sonography in first week of life was done and in presence of ivh, serial brain sonography was done weekly for detection of hydrocephalus. a total of 57 neonate entered the study. intraventicular-germinal matrix hemorrhage was seen in 64.4% (35 patients). forty percent of patients with intraventricular-germinal matrix hemorrhage had grade i, 11% grade ii, 25.7% grade iii, 2.8% grade vi. hydrocephalus was detected in 20 percent of patients who had intraventricular-germinal matrix hemorrhage. that incidence of ivh in our study in comparison with other area and situation is higher. hydrocephaly had direct relation with severity of ivh. this shows that with control of risk factor of ivh, we can control post hemorrhagic hydrocephalus.