Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Newborns

The Basics

Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate пїЅ пїЅ

What is intraventricular hemorrhage in newborns? " пїЅ Intraventricular hemorrhage in newborns is a condition that happens when blood vessels inside a newborn babys brain burst and bleed. It is most common in newborns who: пїЅ пїЅ

Are born more than 8 weeks early (this is called "preterm " пїЅ or "premature " пїЅ birth). A normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, so babies born at 32 weeks or less are more likely to have this problem.
Newborns who weigh about 3 pounds or less. This is less than half the weight of an average newborn.

What are the symptoms of intraventricular hemorrhage in newborns? " пїЅ Some newborns have no symptoms. A baby that has symptoms might: пїЅ пїЅ

Be more sleepy or less alert than usual
Have weak, floppy muscles
Move less than normal
Stop breathing for short periods of time

Is there a test for intraventricular hemorrhage in newborns? " пїЅ Yes. Doctors can test for this condition with an ultrasound of the baby's head. An ultrasound uses sound waves to create pictures of the inside of the body. Some doctors do routine ultrasounds on premature babies to check for this condition. пїЅ пїЅ

How is intraventricular hemorrhage in newborns treated? " пїЅ There are no treatments to stop the bleeding. But your baby's doctor will check to make sure your baby's blood flow and oxygen levels are normal. This can prevent further bleeding. пїЅ пїЅ

Your baby might need fluids given through a small tube in a vein, called an "IV. " пїЅ He or she might also need oxygen, which is given through: пїЅ пїЅ

A plastic hood put over the baby's head
2 plastic tubes put in the baby's nostrils
A mask over the baby's mouth and nose in a treatment called "continuous positive airway pressure " пїЅ or CPAP.

Can intraventricular hemorrhage in newborns be prevented? " пїЅ You can reduce the chance that your baby will have an intraventricular hemorrhage by going to all your doctor or midwife's visits when you are pregnant and following their advice. This will lower the chances that you will have a baby that is born too early. пїЅ пїЅ

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. пїЅ пїЅ

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. пїЅ пїЅ

Topic 83999 Version 2.0 пїЅ пїЅ

Release: 22.8 - C22.208 пїЅ пїЅ

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Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Newborns

The Basics

Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer

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