Intraventricular Hemorrhage in the Newborn

Intraventricular hemorrhage, often shortened to IVH, is bleeding into the ventricles of the brain, which are fluid-filled spaces that contain cerebrospinal fluid. In newborns, IVH occurs most often in premature infants, especially very preterm and very low birth weight infants. The smaller and more premature the infant, the higher the risk because the blood vessels in the premature brain are fragile and not fully mature. For the RPN, IVH is important because the newborn may look stable at first. Many cases are found on routine head ultrasound rather than obvious symptoms. The RPN’s role is to recognize risk factors, monitor for subtle deterioration, reduce stress and physiologic instability, support family-centred care, and promptly report concerning changes.