cerebral intraventricular hemorrhage and interleukin-6 in preterm neonates

Background: intraventricular hemorrhage (ivh) in preterm neonates is a serious problem in neonatal intensive care units (nicu) worldwide. ivh is reported in approximately 60-70% of very-low-birth-weight (vlbw) neonates. the present study aimed to assess the association of ivh with neonatal characteristics and serum markers, such as serum interleukin-6 (il-6) level, in preterm neonates in an academic hospital in the northeast of iran. methods: in this cross-sectional study, a number of 71 vlbw preterm neonates (≤34 weeks of gestational age (ga), birth weight (bw) ≤1500g) were examined regarding the evidence of ivh up to the 40th week of ga in gorgan, northeast of iran. the serum interleukin-6 (il-6) level was measured within the first 12 hours of lifebirth. the association among the variables was analyzed in spss software (version 16) using the chi-square test. results: out of 56 preterm neonates who survived until the 40th week, 15 (26.8%) cases demonstrated evidence of ivh at discharge, they had a significantly lower ga (29.04±2 weeks vs. 30.44±1.7 weeks; p=0.003) and bw (1075.43±208 kg vs. 1251.6±199.4 kg; p=0.001), as compared to 41(73.2%) newborns with no ivh. preterm neonates with ivh had a significantly higher il-6 serum level, as compared to those without ivh (224±210 pg/ml vs. 91.93±138 pg/ml; p=0.035). conclusion: as evidenced by the obtained result, low birth weight and premature birth could be serious risk factors for the development of ivh. furthermore, il-6 concentration may play a pivotal role in the occurrence of ivh.