[Early prognosis of intracranial hemorrhage in premature infants].

Between July 1979 and June 1984 an intracerebral haemorrhage developed in 87 premature infants (mean gestational age 29.5 weeks, mean birth weight 1156g). 46 of these died, 41 infants survived. Their psychomotoric development was followed up to a mean age of 19 months. In 63% of the patients the haemorrhage occurred during the first four days of life. Its frequency was highest in premature infants of 27 to 30 weeks of gestation. The survival rate was influenced by the gestational age and by the grade of haemorrhage. Early complications such as ventricular dilatation, hydrocephalus occlusus and porencephaly were seen especially in very immature infants (less than 31 weeks). The frequency of abnormal psychomotoric development in 55% of these infants contrasts with 13.5% in premature infants (less than 1 500 g) without intracerebral haemorrhage.