Neonatal pulmonary haemorrhage, birthweight, gestational age and intrauterine growth.

The relation between neonatal pulmonary haemorrhage and its underlying cause was studied by reviewing the clinical data and necropsy records of 315 newborn babies who had died between day 0 and 31 of life. Necropsy revealed massive and focal pulmonary haemorrhage in 6.9% and 19.3% of the infants, respectively. It has been concluded that pulmonary haemorrhage is a complication of various neonatal diseases related to hypoxia and/or infection, which occur in preterm infants with a much higher frequency than in term babies. Among patients with pulmonary haemorrhage, males and low birthweight babies predominated.