Fetal sex and distribution of peri-intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants.
Peri-intraventricular hemorrhage (PIVH) is an important complication of the brain in immature newborn infants. In a real-time ultrasound study with frequent scanning of 78 preterm infants (50 with birth-weight less than 1,500 g and 28 weighing more than 1,500 g), we examined the influence of sex on the occurrence of PIVH. A significant difference between sexes was only found in the group with birth-weight below 1,500 g. PIVH occurred in 72% of male infants and in 28% of females (p less than 0.001). This effect is probably due to a difference in the timing of cerebral vascular maturation in males leading to a difference in the risk of developing PIVH between the sexes before 34 weeks of gestation.
Amato
M
M
Howald
H
H
von Muralt
G
G
D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography