Increased Plasma Concentrations of Activin A Predict Intraventricular Hemorrhage in

major cause of neurologic disabilities in preterm new-borns. We evaluated the use of plasma activin A con-centrations to predict the development of perinatal IVH. Methods: We measured nucleated erythrocyte (NRBC) counts, plasma activin A, hypoxanthine (Hyp), and xanthine (Xan) in arterial blood samples obtained from 53 preterm infants during the first hour after birth. Cerebral ultrasound was performed within 48 h of birth and repeated at 5- or 6-day intervals until the age of 4 weeks. Results: Grade I or II IVH was detected during the first 10 days of life in 11 of 53 patients (21%). Activin A, Hyp, and Xan concentrations and NRBC counts were higher in preterm newborns who subsequently developed IVH than in those who did not (P <0.0001, except P 0.019 for Xan). Neonatal activin A was correlated (P <0.0001) with Hyp (r 0.95), Xan (r 0.90), and NRBC count (r 0.90) in newborns without later IVH and in those wh