Kefalogematoma in the newborn on the head: causes, treatment and consequences

A child during childbirth (during the passage throughbirth canal) can receive various traumas, one of them is a cephalohematoma. In the newborn on the head, it appears as a blood clot between the outer surface of the skull and the periosteum. In this case, most often the blood accumulates on the parietal bone, rarely occurs its accumulation on the occipital, frontal or temporal bones.

It is worth noting that the cephalothoremata on the headThe newborn often does not appear at all in the first days after birth due to the fact that it is covered by a birth tumor. It is only diagnosed when the swelling disappears and the blood clot accumulated above the periosteum begins to increase in size. With all this, no changes occur with the surface of the skin above the hematoma, that is, the tumor does not spread beyond the boundaries of the affected bone.

Kefalogematoma in the newborn on the head: causes

If the dimensions of the birth canal are incommensurable withthe size of the child itself, in the process of childbirth the infant can undergo mechanical damage, which will entail the formation of a cephalohematoma. It is possible to note a number of factors provoking this phenomenon. These include the incorrect position of the fetus (when the presentation of the child is facial, pelvic, parietal), too large fetuses, malformations, too fast births in a woman giving birth for the first time, a delayed pregnancy, mature maternity age, a flat or narrow pelvis in the parturient or injured bones of the pelvis.

In addition, the child for a number of reasons cana hypoxic birth trauma occurs, and as a result, a cephalohematoma is formed in the newborn on the head. Such a development can happen because of the entanglement around the baby's neck of the umbilical cord, which makes it difficult for him to breathe; sunken tongue that can block access to the trachea; congestion in the mouth of a newborn mucus.

Treatment

If the size of the cephalohematoma is small and it is notdelivers discomfort to the baby, no special treatment is required - such a tumor will resolve itself in one to two months. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe the intake of vitamin K, which improves blood clotting, and calcium gluconate, which strengthens the vascular walls. In the case of significant size of the cephalohematoma, a special needle can be opened and the contents removed. After this, a pressure bandage is applied to the newborn's head.

Kefalogematoma in a child: the consequences

If as a result of birth injury the babywill lose a lot of blood, he can lower hemoglobin and, as a consequence, appear an arrhythmia. If the cephalohematoma of a newborn on the head is large, it can seep into nearby tissues. In this case, the tumor disintegrates into hemoglobin particles, which then penetrate the bloodstream. Such processes can cause the child to develop jaundice. If blood resorption is prolonged for a long period and entails complications, there is a threat of deformity in the child's skull. Also it is fraught with the development of the inflammatory process, and accordingly, suppuration.

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