Intraventricular haemorrhage in utero - A case-report and review of the literature

Intraventricular haemorrhages (IVH) are the most commonly occurring intracr anial haemorrhages in neonates, especially in preterm infants. The origin o f IVHs is located in the germinal matrix. The cause of an IVH is a combinat ion of intravascular, vascular and extravascular factors. The diagnosis is made by ultrasound. Knowledge on the causes of antenatal haemorrhages lags far behind knowledge on the causes of postnatal haemorrhages. In cases of h aemodynamic changes in utero, ultrasound could be useful to examine the foe tal brain. The presence of an intracranial haemorrhage in utero greatly inf luences the prognosis of the infant. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.