Intracranial Haemorrhage in the new-born: A study of diagnosis and differential diagnosis based upon pathological and clinical findings in 126 cases

Hitherto interest in intracranial haemorrhage in the new-born has been centred mainly upon etiology and pathology.More recently symptomotology has received increasing attention.While the pathology of the subject in its relation to etiological factors has received considerable attention, few attempts have been made to correlate pathological with clinical findings.The present paper is based upon both clinical and pathological observations made by the writer in connexion with 126 new-born infants in whom intracranial haemorrhage was found at autopsy.Of the 126 infants, 110 were born in the Royal Maternity Hospital and ten in the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.Six infants were born at home, four being subsequently admitted to the Royal Maternity Hospital and two to the Western General Hospital.Infants born in hospital were under observation from the time of birth and were examined daily following the first evidence of failure to progress or of disturbed health.Clinical findings were recorded at the time of examination.A similar routine was adopted in the case of infants born at home and subsequently admitted to hospital.Post- mortem examinations were carried out within thirty-six, forty-eight and seventy-two hours of death in the case of ninety-five, twenty-four and seven infants respectively.A pathological basis has been considered as best suited to the study of the present series.Intracranial haemorrhage found post mortem in the 126 cases included in the investigation differed according as it had taken place into the subdural space, the subarachnoid space, the ventricular system or into the brain substance.Cases have been grouped according to the distribution of the H 89 on July 18,