Cerebral intraventricular hemorrhages in infants: a widening age spectrum.

Cerebral intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), a problem widely recognized in premature infants, was found in six older infants, ages 2 weeks to 3 months. IVH was often initially misdiagnosed as subarachnoid hemorrhage or meningits with a traumatic lumbar tap. IVH occurred primarily in infants with hypoxemia, acidosis, ischemia, and/or hypernatremia, conditions found in association with IVH in premature infants, but also occurred spontaneously. Computerized tomography scans were the most valuable diagnostic procedure for detection of IVH.