Cephalhematoma due to trauma - Pediatric Oncall

4th Pediatric Infectious Diseases Conference

ISSN 0973 - 0958

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Question
Grandchild, 3 weeks old, has "knot" at top of head, a little larger than the large end of an egg. Doctor says that it is a cephalo hematoma and that the body will eventually absorb this excess blood in a couple of months. I cannot find any info on this online and am wondering if could not be something more serious. Please give me any info or point me in the right direction for info. Thanks.
Answer
Was your grandchild a forceps or a vacuum delivery? If yes, cephalhematomas can occur in them due to trauma. It is a subcutaneous collection of blood under the scalp. They are usually benign and over a period of weeks reabsorb on their own. Sometimes the hemoglobin in the hematoma gets converted to a pigment known as Bilirubin which may cause the child to become jaundiced in the first few days of life sometimes requiring phototherapy. However, that also resolves on its own. If the hematoma was spontaneous without any history of trauma, it would be wiser to rule out a bleeding disorder in the child. Back to All Questions

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