Prevalence of neonatal ultrasound brain lesions in premature infants with and without intrauterine growth restriction.

AIM: To compare the prevalence of transient periventricular echodensities (TPE), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and haemorrhagic brain lesions (HBL) in singleton intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) infants and in those appropriate for gestational age (AGA).

METHODS

Thirty-five IUGR and 35 AGA singleton infants born between 24- and 34-week gestational age were studied. The presence of TPE, PVL and HBL was assessed with ultrasound (US) at day 3 (US-I), 2 weeks (US-II) after delivery and at term-equivalent age (US-III).

RESULTS

IUGR neonates had an increased prevalence of TPE at US-I (18/35 vs. 8/35, p= 0.02) and an increased prevalence of PVL at US-II (8/32 vs. 1/31, p = 0.03) and US-III (8/29 vs. 1/29, p = 0.02). No significant differences in the prevalence of HBL were found between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

IUGR is associated with an increased prevalence of white matter damage on US brain scans in preterm neonates.