Traumatic Delivery

Some injuries to the baby result from mechanical forces of compression or traction during delivery. Some injuries are caused when doctors and nurses use medical devices such as vacuum extractors or forceps during delivery. Trauma may cause bleeding in the skull of the brain if blood vessels are damaged or torn. It may also cause hypotension or low blood pressure which may result in ischemia.

Some injuries caused by trauma include:

2. • Intracranial hemorrhage is a hemorrhage, or bleeding, within the skull. Intracranial hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel in the head is ruptured or leaks. it can result from physical trauma to the head.

3. • Cephalohematoma is a hemorrhage or collection of blood caused by rupture of blood vessels between the skull and the periosteum. The extent of hemorrhage may be severe enough to cause anemia and hypotension. Cephalohematoma may be caused by a prolonged second stage of labor or by operative vaginal delivery with a vacuum extractor or forceps.

   • Subgaleal hemorrhage is bleeding in the potential space between the skull periosteum and the scalp galea aponeurosis. A large percentage of subgaleal hemorrhage result from vacuum extractors applied to the head at delivery. Subgaleal hematoma is also associated with head trauma, such as intracranial hemorrhage or skull fracture.  Patients with subgaleal hemorrhage may present with hemorrhagic shock and may develop hyperbilirubinemia. 

   • Caput Succedaneum is swelling of the scalp in a newborn baby usually caused by the mechanical trauma to the presenting part of the head being pushed through the cervix. Babies with caput succedaneum may become jaundiced when the bruising breaks down into bilirubin.