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What is PVL?
The brain of a premature baby (born before their expected due date) is prone to damage from lack of blood and oxygen. This is because the normal blood supply has not yet spread to all parts of a premature baby's brain.
The brain has within it spaces that are filled with water. These water spaces are called 'ventricles'. The parts of the brain around the water spaces often have the poorest blood supply. The medical word for 'around' is 'peri'. 'Periventricular' means 'around the water spaces'.
It is these periventricular areas in premature babies that are most likely to suffer damage from lack of blood and oxygen. If damage occurs the nerves in this part of the brain die. The area softens and becomes scarred. On a picture of a head scan the scars appear white. 'Leuco' is a medical word for white and 'malacia' for softening. Periventricular Leucomalacia is the description of how a premature baby's brain looks on a scan that has suffered damage from lack of blood and oxygen. It means 'white soft areas around the water spaces of the brain'.
Here are some links to more informaion:
www.cerebralpalsy.ws
www.babyzone.com
www.emedicine.com
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