[Cerebral hemorrhage in newborn infants. A 1-year case load]

Over a period of one year (1984) routine cerebral ultrasonography was performed on all premature infants (gestational age less than 37 weeks), all infants weighing less than 2,250 grams at birth and all other infants with clinical indications such as severe asphyxia, seizures etc. Altogether 209 infants were examined. The overall incidence of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) was 18.7% (39 infants), and was 32.1% in premature infants and 6.2% in term infants. Most infants developed ICH before the third day of life. A strong correlation was found between gestational age and ICH, and between respiratory disease and ICH. No correlation was noted between ICH and parameters related to birth or maternal history. There was a higher incidence of ICH in transported infants than in inborn infants. Only four patients who died from large parenchymal bleedings showed clinical symptoms of ICH.