[Multicenter survey for incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants in seven big cities of China].
OBJECTIVE
Sponsored by the Subspecialty Group of Neonatology of Pediatric Society, Chinese Medical Association, more than ten large hospitals joined the 20-month multicenter investigation for Brain Injuries in Premature Infants in China. This paper presents the results of the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in premature infants in 9 hospitals of 7 big cities of China. All these hospitals were Third Class and Grade A hospitals.


METHODS
All premature infants with a gestational age less than 37 weeks in the 9 hospitals were subjected to routine cranial ultrasound examination within 3 approximately 7 days after birth, and then the examination was repeated every other 3 approximately 7 days till the discharge from the hospital during Jan. 2005 to Aug. 2006. The severity of IVH was graded based on Papile classification for IVH.


RESULTS
A total of 3768 premature infants were admitted to the 9 hospitals during the investigation. The overall incidences of IVH and severe IVH were 9.3% (352/3768) and 2.1% (78/3768), consisting of 23.3% (82/352) for grade I, 54.5% (192/352) for grade II, 17.6% (62/352) for grade III and 4.5% (16/352) for grade IV, respectively. The overall incidences of IVH (5.1% vs. 14.1%) and severe IVH (1.5% vs. 2.7%) in 4 maternity and infant hospitals were significantly higher than those in five general or children's hospitals (chi2 = 89.045, P = 0.000; chi2 = 6.909, P = 0.009). The probable high-risk factors in the occurrence of severe IVH were premature rupture of the membrane, perinatal asphyxia, mechanical ventilation, twin or multiple pregnancies and amniotic fluid contamination.


CONCLUSIONS
The data of the multicenter investigation can basically reflect the situation of the occurrence of IVH in premature infants in major big cities of China. However, more than 60% of population in China lives in the rural area, it is possible that there is a higher incidence of IVH in premature infants than the results of the present survey owing to the limited medical condition in the rural area. Further multicenter investigation in the rural area is expected to be undertaken in future.
Email: hjchenk@online.sh.cn.
Chen
Hui-jin
HJ
D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male