In a prospective study at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, 95 premature infants with birthweights equal or less than 1500 g were screened for intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) using cranial ultrasound. Nineteen (20 per cent) were found to have developed IVH. Eight out of fourteen variables studied showed a significant difference between infants who did and those who did not develop IVH. These variables were Apgar score at 1 and 5 min, mechanical ventilation (IPPV), blood transfusion, receiving boluses of sodium bicarbonate for correction of metabolic acidosis, the degree of acidosis, the degree, and duration of hypercarbia (CO2 > 8 kPa).