The overall incidence of germinal matrix intraventricular hemorrhage (GMIVH) for an inborn population of 250 very low birth weight infants from 1991 through 1993 was 20%; the incidence of major GMIVH was 5.2%. Of infants < or = 25 weeks, 60% survived and 94% of the survivors were free of major GMIVH, whereas 94% of infants > or = 25 weeks survived and 99% had no major GMIVH.