In plain words
Caput succedaneum is a soft, puffy swelling of the baby's scalp that forms during birth. It comes from pressure as the head moves through the birth canal. It is more likely after a long labor, a vacuum birth, or when the head is the first part to come down. The swelling is fluid and some blood at the surface of the scalp. Unlike a , it can cross the lines between the skull plates. It is often visible right after birth and usually fades within a few days. It does not usually cause problems on its own. Clinicians check it at the newborn exam to tell it apart from other scalp bumps, which may need more attention.
The deeper version
Caput succedaneum is a serosanguinous edema of the scalp, above the periosteum and beneath the skin, caused by pressure against the cervix and vaginal wall during labor. Unlike cephalohematoma, it crosses suture lines and is not bounded by the periosteum. It typically resolves over several days. The main clinical task is differentiating it from , which lies under the galea aponeurotica and can accumulate large volumes of blood, particularly after vacuum extraction, and can produce hemodynamic compromise. Careful examination of the scalp, serial assessment, and imaging when indicated are used for the differential (Volpe, Neurology of the Newborn, 2008). Labor duration and operative delivery are the usual risk factors described in obstetric texts.
Where it comes up
- Vacuum and forceps birthsBirth and the First Days
- When the baby is injured at birthLoss and Complications
- The first 24 hoursBirth and the First Days
- Newborn procedures: vitamin K, eye ointment, hepatitis B, screeningGetting Ready for Birth
- Very fast and very long laborsBirth and the First Days
What mothers here say about caput succedaneum
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Sources
- Volpe JJ — Neurology of the Newborn, 5th edition, 2008
- Cunningham FG and colleagues — Williams Obstetrics, 26th edition, 2022