Normal Reference Range of Lateral Ventricle Parameters in Preterm Neonates by Ultrasonography

Cranial ultrasound is considered as the method of choice for early evaluation of neonatal ventricular system. Since premature neonates are susceptible to intra-ventricular hemorrhage and hydrocephaly, it is essential to have normal values of parameters as reference ranges.
To provide native information of ventricular sizes in normal premature infants in our area for screening policy.
This Multicenter prospective study was conducted on normal premature babies with a gestational age of 26 to 35 weeks, from February to September 2014, in the South of Iran. Patients were divided into 10 groups according to their weeks of gestational age and each group was separately studied during the first 3 days of life. Statistical package for the Social Sciences version 16.0 software package [SPSS Inc, Chicago, Illinois] was used for statistical analysis. Continuous variables were described by mean with standard deviations (SD) and categorical variables by numbers and percentage appropriately. A 95% confidence interval was supposed for all ventricular parameters (5, 50 and 95 percentile). Each parameter that was above the 95 percentile for GA or birth weight was considered abnormal. Comparison between groups was done by Pearson correlation and Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests as appropriate. P value ≤ 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.
177 premature neonates were evaluated. The mean of ventricular index was 11.7 mm ± 1.5 SD. The mean of anterior horn width and thalamo-occipital distance were 1.8 mm ± 0.7 SD and 15 mm ± 2.7 SD, respectively. Ventricular index was gradually increased as the gestational age and birth weight increased, however, there was no obvious relationship between these and 2 other dimensions. There was no significant difference in dimensions between boys and girls, and also between normal vaginal delivery and cesarean section.
This study provides native normal reference values for lateral ventricular size in preterm infants in Iran. It helps physicians better understand the normal and abnormal size of the lateral ventricle in preterm neonates and improves both early diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.