Why Do Some Premature Babies with a Germinal Matrix Hemorrhage (GMH) Develop a Severe Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) While Others Do Not? 818

It is not clear why some premature babies who develop a GMH have an associated severe (S) IVH while others have only a GMH or minor (M) IVH. We reviewed the courses of 103 babies who developed a GMH within 7 postnatal days who were born with a gestational age (GA) of 23-32 wks from 1990-1995. Important differences between babies having only a GMH and those with an associated IVH included the following: Table There were no differences in gender distribution or the incidence of hyaline membrane disease requiring surfactant, prenatal steroids, or complications of prematurity. Clearly babies with an associated IVH were smaller, younger, and sicker. We then compared babies who had a GMH and M-IVH with those who had a GMH and S-IVH. Table