Neonatal intracranial haemorrhage: aspiration through anterior fontanel in 23 cases.

Abstract

In 23 cases of perinatal intracranial haemorrhage with elevated intracranial pressure, the haematoma was aspirated through the anterior fontanel. Five patients died during the neonatal period, 18 infants are alive. the Site of haemorrhage in the survivors was intraventricular in six cases, intraventricular and convexity subdural in six cases and only convexity subdural in six cases. At present the age of children ranges between 7 and 40 months. Subsequent follow-up revealed a normal development of 13 survivors. Four children have slight cerebral palsy (one of these has epilepsy). One preterm newborn with intraventricular haemorrhage had progressive hydrocephalus.