What's periventricular leukomalacia?

Periventricular Leuk: Premature infant is prone to cerebral hemorrhage.Infarction of the periventricular white matter is called periventricular leukomalacia.

PVL is caused by : lack of blood flow & oxygen to the white matter around the ventricles of the brain, an area most susceptible to damage around the end of the 2nd trimester. Severity of impairment varies widely, but isn't seen right away. Start Early Intervention therapy at 4-6 weeks as "Early Prevention" for optimal outcome. See: http://cerebralpalsy.org/about-cerebral-palsy/cause/periventricular-leukomalacia/