Preventive Care in Nursing and Midwifery Journal

Background: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is one of the most important causes of cognitive and motor disorder in children with very low birth weight  and is associated with high mortality and disability rate.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine IVH risk factors in the first days of life in neonates weighing less than 1500g (VLBW) so that the results can contribute  to the improvement of the therapeutic function of the delivery room and ultimately IVH risk prevention.
Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on 110 VLBW neonates who were admitted to the hospital affiliated to Zanjan University of Medical Sciences during the years 2012-2013 Zanjan-Iran.  Parameters including gender, birth weight, birth Apgar, regimens, and type of delivery were recorded in the questionnaire and data analysis  was conducted using Chi-square test in SPSS.
Results: From 110 studied neonates, 21(19%) had IVH, of which 11(52%), 5(23.8%) and 5(23.8%) suffered from Grade I, II and III IVH, respectively. Meanwhile, among the studied variables, recovery steps were taken in the delivery room in the IVH group. The cranial ultrasonography  was carried out for these neonates in the first 72 h of birth  and they were categorized as Grade one to four, based on evidence of brain hemorrhage. There was a significant difference between maternity and infant information and without IVH; but it was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: According to the present study, the recovery process seemed to be a risk factor for the incidence of IVH in neonates; therefore, the health level of neonates can be improved by optimizing the mentioned process and reducing this risk factor.