Parenchymatous Brain Injury in Premature Infants: Intraventricular Hemorrhage and Periventricular Leukomalacia

Abstract

Prematurity is a condition associated with high mortality and overall survived rates are near 77.5% (Stoll et al., 2010).Those who survived are at high risk of severe impairment (Bassler et al., 2009). Two percent of all live births are premature with less than 32 weeks of gestational age and 1.5% of them are very low birth weight (Mathews et al., 2011). The most common injury affecting brain of these children is periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). PVL is the main cause of cognitive behavioural, motor and sensory impairments found in children born before 32 weeks of gestational age (Volpe, 2003). IVH has a negative impact on the neurodevelopmental outcome and is due not only to the direct consequences of IVH but also associated lesions, such as posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) and PVL. The knowledge, prevention, diagnosis and early treatment of these clinical conditions improve the prognosis and neurological outcomes.