ABSTRACT
Objectives To investigate the incidence of brain injuri in premature infants in ten hospitals of seven large cities in China sponsored by the Subspecialty Group of Neonatology of Pediatric Society, China Medical Association. Methods All premature infants with gestational age less than 37 weeks in ten hospitals were given routine cranial ultrasound within three days of birth, and then repeated every 3-7 days till the discharge from the hospital during January 2005 to August 2006. Results Incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and severe IVH were 10.8% (406/3 768) and 2.4% (92/3 768) with 22.6% (92/406) for grade 1, 54.7% (222/406) for grade 2, 17.2% (70/406) for grade 3 and 5.4% (22/406) for grade 4 in nine hospitals; incidence of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and cystic PVL were 2.3% (112/4 933) and 0.3% (16/4 933) with 85.7% (96/112) for grade 1, 12.5% (14/112) for grade 2, and 1.8% (2/112) for grade 3 including all ten hospitals, respectively. Risk factors associated with increased severity of IVH were vaginal delivery (OR = 1.874, 95% CI = 1.172 - 2.997, P < 0.01), perinatal asphyxia (OR = 1.598, 95% CI = 1.077 - 2.372, P < 0.05), mechanical ventilation (OR = 3.988, 95% CI= 2.448 -6.948, P< 0.01), and amniotic fluid contamination (OR = 2.192, 95% CI = 1.054 - 4.544, P< 0.05). Risk factors that might result in the development of cystic PVL were vaginal delivery (OR = 1.400, 95% CI = 1.186 - 1.652, P < 0.001) and mechanical ventilation (OR = 3.000, 95% CI = 1.015 - 8.864, P < 0.05). Conclusions These data reflect basically the prevalence of brain injuriy in premature infants in major cities of China. However, more than 60% of population lives in the rural area, further multicenter investigation including the rural area is expected to be undertaken in future.