Cephalhaematoma

#1 (**permalink**) 18-Mar-2008, 02:31

pronounced kef-al-hee-ma-toe-ma

A cephalhaematoma is a haemorrhage of blood between the skull and the periosteum of a newborn baby, secondary to rupture of blood vessels crossing the periosteum. Because the swelling is subperiosteal its boundaries are limited by the individual bones.

If severe the neonate may develop jaundice, anemia or hypotension. In some cases it may be an indication of a linear skull fracture or be at risk of an infection leading to osteomyelitis or meningitis.

The swelling of a Cephalhematoma takes weeks to resolve as the blood clot is slowly absorbed from the periphery towards the centre. In time the swelling hardens (calcification) leaving a relatively softer centre so that it appears as a 'depressed fracture'.

A mothers journal with pictures of baby with cephalhaematoma......

http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/8190/Cephalhaematoma-and-Calcified-Haematoma-my-experience/

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalhematoma

http://www.birth.com.au/Info.asp?class=1005&page=1