Present at birth

Q Consider the following statements regarding a cephalhaematoma: Which is the false one?

It can occur after a normal delivery

The bleeding is sub-periosteal

The commonest site is over the parietal bone

Present at birth

• • Cephalhaematoma is a subperiosteal haemorrhage, due to rupture of small emissary veins or fracture of scalp bones, usually involving parietal & temporal bones.

  • It occurs in 0.5% to 2.5% of all births.

  • It is more common after forceps delivery, vaccum extraction and prolonged labour.

  • It appears as a soft & fluctuant swelling with well defined outlines.

  • It appears 12 to 24 hours after birth.

  • It is limited by skull bones because the pericardium is fixed to margins of the bone.

  • It causes hyperbilirubinaemia due to release of bilirubin from collected blood.

Cephalhaematoma needs to be differentiated from caput succedaneum.

Cephalhaematoma is associated with jaundice of newborn.

Caput succedaneum is formation of swelling due to stagnation of fluid in the layers of scalp beneath the girdle of contact.