Pediatric intraventricular hemorrhage and stroke

What is a pediatric intraventricular hemorrhage and stroke?

Intraventricular hemorrhage can damage or kill areas of the brain that are critical to development and motor function. Intraventricular hemorrhage is a frequent cause of death in premature infants (babies born more than three weeks early).

What are the different types of a pediatric intraventricular hemorrhage and stroke?

• Arterial bleeding - This type of hemorrhage results in additional loss of oxygen to tissue because arteries carry oxygenated blood to the heart. Arterial hemorrhages are harder to control than venous hemorrhages.

• Venous bleeding - This type of hemorrhage affects the veins that return blood to the heart.

What are the signs and symptoms of a pediatric intraventricular hemorrhage and stroke?

Symptoms of an intraventricular hemorrhage include:

• Abnormal eye movement

• Apnea (pauses in breathing)

• Decreased muscle tone

• Decreased reflexes

• Excessive sleep or lethargy

• Fallen blood count

• Pale or blue coloring

• Seizures

• Shrill cry

• Weak suck

Symptoms of a stroke include:

• Extreme sleepiness

• Seizures

• Using only one side of the body

What are the causes of a pediatric intraventricular hemorrhage and stroke?

The cause of IVH can be congenital (present at birth) or acquired (develops over time). A stroke (when blood flow to the brain is cut off and cells are damaged) is one cause of intraventricular hemorrhages.

Other causes include:

• Blood-clotting abnormalities

• Head injury

• Malformed or weakened blood vessels in the brain

• Maternal high blood pressure (hypertension)

• Maternal infection

• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

• Placental blood clots

• Shaken baby syndrome (head trauma as a result of forcibly shaking a child age newborn to 5 years)