Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Babies - Stanford Children's ...

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is bleeding inside or around the ventricles in the brain. The ventricles are the spaces in the brain that contain the ... nutch_noindexSearchTermMenuButtonDonateContactMyChartLoginFindaDoctorSecondOpinionDonateContactReferaPatientEnEspañolOurLocationsMedicalServicesAboutUsResearch&InnovationPatients&VisitorsForHealthProfessionalsSecondOpinionDonateEnEspañolMyChartLoginRecentlyVisitedOurLocationsMedicalServicesAboutUsResearch&InnovationPatients&VisitorsForHealthProfessionalsSearchTermCANCELViewMoreResultsLoading...Thelatestinformationaboutthe2019NovelCoronavirus,includingvaccineclinicsforchildrenages5yearsoldandolder.LainformaciónmásrecientesobreelnuevoCoronavirusde2019,incluidaslasclínicasdevacunaciónparaniñosde5añosenadelante./nutch_noindex   IntraventricularHemorrhageinBabies Whatisintraventricularhemorrhageinbabies? Intraventricularhemorrhage(IVH)isbleedinginsideoraroundtheventriclesinthebrain.Theventriclesarethespacesinthebrainthatcontainthecerebralspinalfluid.Bleedinginthebraincanputpressureonthenervecellsanddamagethem.Severedamagetocellscanleadtobraininjury. IVHismostcommoninprematurebabies.Thereare4gradesofIVH,dependingontheamountofbleeding.Theyare: Grade1.Bleedingoccursjustinasmallareaoftheventricles. Grade2.Bleedingalsooccursinsidetheventricles. Grade3.Ventriclesareenlargedbytheblood. Grade4.Bleedingoccursinthebraintissuesaroundtheventricles. Grades1and2aremostcommon.Oftenthebabyhasnoothercomplications.Grades3and4arethemostserious.Theymayresultinlong-termbraininjurytothebaby. Whatcausesintraventricularhemorrhageinababy? ItisnotclearwhyIVHoccurs.Bleedingcanoccurbecausebloodvesselsinaprematurebaby’sbrainareveryfragileandbreakeasily.NearlyallIVHoccurswithinthefirstfewdaysoflife. Whichbabiesareatriskforintraventricularhemorrhage? CertainbabiesaremorelikelytohaveIVH.Theyinclude: Prematurebabies Very-low-birth-weightbabies(weighinglessthan3pounds,5ounces) Babieswithbreathingproblems,suchashyalinemembranedisease Babieswhohaveothercomplicationsofbeingpremature Laboranddeliveryproblems Geneticbackground Shakenbaby HeadInjury Infectioninthemother Highbloodpressureinthemother Blood-clottingproblems Whatarethesymptomsofintraventricularhemorrhageinababy? ThefollowingarethemostcommonsymptomsofIVH: Pausesinbreathing(apnea) Slowheartrate(bradycardia) Paleorbluecoloring(cyanosis) Weaksuck High-pitchedcry Seizures Lethargy,stupor,orcoma Swellingorbulgingofthesoftspots(fontanelles)betweenthebonesofthebaby’shead Lowredbloodcellcount(anemia) Decreasedreflexes Decreasedmuscletone Abnormaleyemovement ThesymptomsofIVHmaylooklikeotherhealthproblems.Makesureyourbabyseeshisorherhealthcareproviderforadiagnosis. Howisintraventricularhemorrhagediagnosedinababy? Yourbaby’shealthcareproviderwillaskaboutyourchild’shealthhistoryanddoaphysicalexam.Yourbabywillalsoneedaheadultrasound.Thistestusessoundwavestomakeapictureofinternalstructures.Theprovidercanseetheinsideofthebaby’sbrainthroughthefontanelles.Withtheultrasound,theamountofbleedingcanbegraded. Howisintraventricularhemorrhagetreatedinababy? ThereisnospecifictreatmentforIVH,excepttotreatanyotherhealthproblemsthatmaymaketheconditionworse.Yourbabymayalsoneedsupportivecare,suchasfluidsandoxygen. Sometimesyourbabymayneedsurgerytostabilizehisorhercondition.Thismayinvolvesurgerytoplaceatube(shunt)intothebaby’sskulltodrainthefluid.Butthissurgeryisrarelyneededinbabiesbecausetheirskullsareveryflexible. Whatarepossiblecomplicationsofintraventricularhemorrhageinababy? Complicationsaremorelikelytooccurifababyhasgrade3or4IVH.Theymayinclude: Developmentproblems Toomuchcerebralspinalfluidinthebrain(hydrocephalus) Long-termbraininjury Death HowcanIhelppreventintraventricularhemorrhageinmybaby? Althoughcareofsickandprematurebabieshasadvancedgreatly,itisnotpossibletopreventIVHfromoccurring.Butifyouareatriskforearlydelivery,yourhealthcareprovidermaygiveyoucorticosteroidmedicines.ThishasbeenshowntolowertheriskforIVHinthebaby.Thesesteroidsareoftengiventowomenbetween24and34weeksduringpregnancyiftheyareatriskforearlydelivery. Keypointsaboutintraventricularhemorrhageinbabies IVHisbleedinginsideoraroundtheventricles.Theventriclesarethespacesinthebrainthatcontainthecerebralspinalfluid. IVHismostlikelytooccurinprematurebabies. ItisnotclearwhyIVHoccurs. AbabywithIVHmayhavebreathingproblemsandaslowheartrate. Aheadultrasoundcandiagnosethecondition. ThereisnospecifictreatmentforIVH. Nextsteps Tipstohelpyougetthemostfromavisittoyourchild’shealthcareprovider: Knowthereasonforthevisitandwhatyouwanttohappen. Beforeyourvisit,writedownquestionsyouwantanswered. Atthevisit,writedownthenameofanewdiagnosis,andanynewmedicines,treatments,ortests.Alsowritedownanynewinstructionsyourprovidergivesyouforyourchild. Knowwhyanewmedicineortreatmentisprescribedandhowitwillhelpyourchild.Alsoknowwhatthesideeffectsare. Askifyourchild’sconditioncanbetreatedinotherways. Knowwhyatestorprocedureisrecommendedandwhattheresultscouldmean. Knowwhattoexpectifyourchilddoesnottakethemedicineorhavethetestorprocedure. Ifyourchildhasafollow-upappointment,writedownthedate,time,andpurposeforthatvisit. Knowhowyoucancontactyourchild’sproviderafterofficehours.Thisisimportantifyourchildbecomesillandyouhavequestionsorneedadvice. RelatedTopicsIntraventricularHemorrhageinBabiesTraumaticBrainInjury RelatedLinksBrainandBehaviorCenterNeonatalNeurologyNeonatalNeurologyServices nutch_noindex /nutch_noindexshareprint