OBJECTIVETo study risk factors for periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (PVH-IVH) in premature infants treated with mechanical ventilation.

METHODSA total of 205 premature infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and treated with mechanical ventilation between January 2009 and December 2011 were enrolled. They were classified into PVH-IVH and non-PVH-IVH groups according to the results of head ultrasonography performed at 3 to 7 days after birth. Single factor and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to identify risk factors for PVH-IVH.

RESULTSSingle factor analysis indicated 9 factors associated with the development of PVH-IVH, including a gestational age of <32 weeks, a birth weight of <1500 g, intrauterine distress, severe asphyxia, vaginal delivery, maternal perinatal infection, premature rupture of membranes (PROM) at ≥8 hours, mechanical ventilation duration of ≥7 days and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a birth weight of <1500 g (OR=2.665), intrauterine distress (OR=2.177), severe asphyxia (OR=5.653), maternal perinatal infection (OR=4.365) and VAP (OR=2.299) were independent risk factors for the development of PVH-IVH (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSVery low birth weight, intrauterine distress, severe asphyxia, maternal perinatal infection and VAP are closely associated with an increased risk of PVH-IVH in premature infants treated with mechanical ventilation. These clinical risk factors should be given more attention in the prevention of PVH-IVH.