Objective:

Describe the perinatal risk factors associated with intraventricular hemorrhage in the newborns hospitalized on neonatal intensive cares.

Methods:

We performed a cross-sectional study to analyze the clinical files and cranial sonography of 482 newborns that were admitted to the intensive care unit, that we analyze to find an association between maternal and newborn factors with the development of intraventricular hemorrhage. Data collection was done from January 2016 to December 2017.

Results:

An 11% incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage was found. The risk factors for intraventricular hemorrhage was: prematurity with OR of 3.74 (0.92-15.02) p value marginal significant p = 0.06; advanced maternal age with OR of 2.64 (1.21-5.78) p value 0.015. Mechanic ventilation increases the risk of intraventricular hemorrhage by nine times. 9.71 (4.05-23.26 p value less than 0.001). Prenatal administration of steroids presented a decrease of risk of 27% (0.12-0.63) p value less than 0.005.

Conclusions:

Perinatal factors such as using mechanical ventilation for more than three days and prematurity constituted risk factors for the development of intraventricular hemorrhage. Some maternal characteristics such as low scholarship and age older than 36 years were risk factors. The use of prenatal steroids had a protective effect in the development of intraventricular hemorrhage.