Date of Award:

5-1988

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Psychology

Committee Chair(s)

Glendon Casto

Committee

Glendon Casto

Committee

Dr. Cole

Committee

Dr. Dobson

Committee

Dr. McShane

Committee

Dr. Odell

Abstract

The attempt to identify risk factors or correlates of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) has been constrained by conflicting research findings, changing hypotheses about the etiology of IVH, and by the exceedingly complex nature of this neurological disorder. In addition, few studies have investigated the possibility that antenatal factors might predispose the infant to IVH. Thus, research aimed at identifying IVH correlates from all time periods in which stress could occur to the neonate needs to be undertaken. This study was conducted for the purpose of identifying and quantifying correlates of IVH by constructing an interactive statistical model to predict the occurrence, severity, and onset of IVH.

The study sample was composed of inborn neonates admitted to the University of Utah Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from July 1985 to June 1987. Ultrasound brain scans were used to assigned 150 infants into two groups of equal numbers: an IVH group and a nonIVH group. Forty-three maternal, 17 obstetric, and 35 neonatal variables were collected from the infants' and infants' mothers' medical records and included demographic, medical, and behavioral data.

The mean birthweights and gestational ages for the IVH and non-IVH groups were 1413 g, 29.9 weeks, and 1573 g 31.3 weeks, respectively. Factors found to be associated with IVH were neonatal hypotension, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, lower hematocrit percent, pulmonary interstitial emphysema, severe respiratory distress syndrome, shorter gestational ages, lower 5-minute Apgar score, pneumothorax, shorter umbilical cord lengths, and lower maternal hemoglobin concentrations. No obstetric factors were found to be related to IVH.

A second-order, interactive model used to predict IVH occurrence and severity explained 90.9% of the total variability. The attempt to predict the onset time of IVH was unsuccessful. While the condition of the neonate immediately following birth is the best predictor of IVH, maternal or antenatal factors may interact to contribute to the development of this neurological disorder.

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