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Caput succadeneum

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

  • this oedematous scalp swelling is superficial to the cranial osteum. Therefore the boundaries of the swelling are not limited - this is in contrast to a cephalhaematoma where the swelling is subperiostial and the boundaries are limited by individual bone margins
  • this swelling is located at the presenting part and is a result of pressure against the lower segment and cervix during labour
  • this swelling disappears gradually in the first few days after birth
  • after a ventouse delivery, the baby's head is left with a "chignon" - an iatrogenic caput succedaneum. This may take as little as 2 hours or as long as 2 weeks to resolve. A chignon is associated with a higher incidence of neonatal jaundice

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