5 Common Questions About Cephalohematoma Birth Injuries
Birth injuries involving a baby’s head can be particularly concerning and stress inducing. Among them are those involving cephalohematomas. The following are five commonly asked questions about cephalohematoma birth injuries:
1. What Is A Cephalohematoma?
A cephalohematoma occurs when blood collects between a newborn baby’s scalp and skull due to broken blood vessels in the scalp. It sometimes coincides with a linear skull fracture.
2. What Causes A Cephalohematoma?
Pressure on a baby’s head. This can be due to a number of situations, including vacuum delivery, forceps use, a high birth weight baby, multiple number of babies (twins, triplets, or more), epidural use, a baby’s fetal position during birth, a long, difficult vaginal labor, or a combination of any of these.1,2
3. What Are Some Of The Potential Complications Of A Cephalohematoma Birth Injury?
Anemia, infections, jaundice, and calcifications.3 Anemia can result when blood that pools at a cephalohematoma is removed from an infant’s circulatory system. Bone infections, while rare, are also a concern, as is the potential for cellulitis and sepsis.4 Jaundice may also result.2 Calcification of a cephalohematoma can occur, creating a hard lump that does not resolve on its own.5
4. Is A Cephalohematoma Birth Injury Permanent?
While most cephalohematomas resolve over weeks or months, in some cases they can cause longer-lasting problems. Calcifications, for example, may require surgery for removal in the future. Scarring and other issues may be permanent.
5. Will A Cephalohematoma Birth Injury Be Obvious Right Away?
Not necessarily. As the bleeding may be slow, it may take 1 to 3 days before a cephalohematoma is evident.2 Making notes of events that occur during birth and obtaining detailed medical records can be useful when legal action will be sought in cases of provable cephalohematoma birth injury cases due to medical malpractice negligence.
In most cases of provable birth injury medical malpractice negligence involving cephalohematomas, legal assistance is pursued. The goal in provable birth injury medical malpractice negligence cases is double faceted: to seek justice and maximize the compensation a child, mother, and/or family receives in order to ensure the ability to provide care for a birth-injured infant’s needs both currently and in the future.
Record-breaking birth injury medical malpractice negligence lawyer Richard “Bo” Sharp, Esquire of Miami’s noted Mallard & Sharp, P.A. law firm’s goal is to obtain maximum justice for families whose infant has been the victim of birth injury medical malpractice negligence. Mallard & Sharp, P.A. is dedicated to providing clients with the path to justice and financial recovery. The firm is highly recognized for handling difficult cases that involve infant and/or maternal birth injuries, medical malpractice, and negligent security, as well as any other acts of provable negligence that have caused catastrophic injuries or wrongful death to individuals.
For additional information, or to inquire about expert legal representation for a potential medical malpractice negligence birth injury lawsuit case involving a cephalohematoma birth injury, contact Mallard & Sharp, P.A. at 305-461-4800.
1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29262234/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470192/
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3507110/