Caput succedaneum is swelling of the scalp in a newborn. It is most often brought on by pressure from the uterus or vaginal wall during a head-first (vertex) delivery.

Caput

A caput succedaneum is more likely to form during a prolonged or difficult delivery. This is especially true after the membranes have ruptured, because the amniotic sac is no longer providing a protective cushion for the baby's head. Vacuum extraction can also increase the chances of a caput succedaneum.

A caput succedaneum is sometimes identified by prenatal ultrasound even before labor or delivery begins. It has been found as early as 31 weeks of pregnancy. More often than not, this is associated with either premature rupture of the membranes or too little amniotic fluid (oligohydramnios). All other things being equal, the longer the membranes are intact, the less likely it is that a caput will form.

• Soft, puffy swelling of part of the scalp in a newborn infant
• Swelling may or may not have some degree of discoloration or bruising
• Swelling may extend over the midline of the scalp
• Most often seen on the portion of the head which presented first
• May be associated with increased molding of the head

A physical examination will confirm that the swelling is a caput succedaneum. No testing is necessary.

No treatment is necessary, and it usually heals spontaneously within a few days.

Complete recovery can be expected, with the scalp regaining its normal contour.

Jaundice can result as the bruise breaks down into bilirubin.

This condition is usually noticed immediately after delivery of the child, so no call is necessary -- unless you have additional questions.

Mangurten HH. Birth Injuries. In: Fanaroff AA, Martin RJ, eds. Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine: Diseases of the Fetus and Infant. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2006: chap 27.

Newborn head molding is an abnormal head shape that results from pressure on the baby's head during childbirth.

Newborn cranial deformation; Molding of the newborn's head

The bones of a newborn baby's skull are soft and flexible, with gaps between the plates of bone.

The spaces between the bony plates of the skull are called cranial sutures. The anterior and posterior fontanelles are two gaps that are particularly large. These are the soft spots you can feel when you touch the top of your baby's head.

During a head-first delivery, pressure on the head caused by the narrow birth canal (vagina and pelvic bones) may mold the head into an oblong shape. These gaps or spaces allow the baby's head to change shape. Depending on the amount and length of pressure, the skull bones may even overlap.

These gaps or spaces also allow the brain to grow inside the skull bones. They will close as the brain reaches its full size.

Fluid may also collect in the baby's scalp (caput succedaneum) or blood may collect beneath the scalp (cephalohematoma). This may further distort the shape and appearance of the baby's head. Fluid and blood collection in and around the scalp is common during delivery. It usually disappears after a few days.

If your baby is born breech (buttocks or feet first) or by cesarean section, the head is usually round and otherwise well-shaped. Extreme abnormalities in head size are NOT related to molding.

See also:

• Craniosynostosis
• Macrocephaly(abnormally large head size)
• Microcephaly(abnormally small head size)

2-letter words

um

3-letter words

bum, cum, gum, hum, lum, mum, rum, sum, yum

4-letter words

alum, arum, chum, doum, drum, gaum, geum, glum, grum, neum, ovum, plum, scum, slum, stum, swum

5-letter words

album, algum, aurum, begum, cecum, datum, degum, durum, fanum, filum, forum, hilum, hokum, ileum, ilium, imaum, jorum, jugum, khoum, larum, linum, locum, notum, oakum, odeum, odium, oleum, onium, opium, rheum, sagum, scrum, sebum, sedum, serum, solum, strum, thrum, velum

6-letter words

acetum, adytum, aecium, alarum, allium, amylum, antrum, asarum, asylum, atrium, barium, bunkum, caecum, centum, cerium, cesium, cilium, conium, corium, crinum, cundum, cuprum, curium, dictum, dinkum, dirdum, dorsum, erbium, estrum, ferrum, folium, frenum, gonium, granum, gypsum, helium, indium, ionium, iterum, kalium, labium, labrum, luteum, lyceum, magnum, medium, mentum, milium, minium, museum, oidium, omasum, osmium, ostium, peplum, phylum, pileum, plenum, podium, possum, quorum, radium, rectum, regnum, sacrum, scutum, sensum, septum, sodium, sputum, subgum, talcum, tectum, tedium, telium, tergum, vacuum, vellum, wampum

7-letter words

agendum, alodium, alyssum, arcanum, baculum, blellum, bluegum, cadmium, caesium, calcium, cambium, centrum, chetrum, chillum, cranium, crissum, decorum, eardrum, eluvium, elytrum, erratum, exuvium, fermium, fraenum, frustum, fulcrum, gallium, hafnium, hahnium, holmium, hoodlum, iridium, ischium, jejunum, jugulum, labarum, ladanum, lithium, lustrum, maximum, minimum, modicum, muonium, natrium, niobium, nostrum, oestrum, omentum, opossum, optimum, organum, osculum, outswum, pabulum, pallium, panicum, pantoum, pinetum, pomatum, premium, protium, quantum, rhenium, rhodium, rostrum, sanctum, scrotum, sistrum, skellum, skookum, smeddum, solanum, sorghum, stadium, stannum, sternum, stewbum, stibium, stickum, stratum, tantrum, tapetum, terbium, tetotum, thorium, thulium, triduum, tritium, trivium, uranium, uredium, yttrium, zoarium

8-letter words

abomasum, aciculum, aconitum, actinium, addendum, aecidium, aerobium, ageratum, alburnum, allodium, alluvium, ammonium, apterium, aquarium, argentum, ascidium, atheneum, basidium, bdellium, biennium, blackgum, bothrium, brachium, caladium, capsicum, cardamum, cementum, cerebrum, chromium, ciborium, cingulum, coagulum, coliseum, conidium, coremium, corundum, cymatium, delirium, didymium, diestrum, diluvium, dominium, duodenum, electrum, emporium, encomium, eulogium, europium, exemplum, exordium, extremum, factotum, francium, frenulum, furculum, galbanum, geranium, glucinum, gonidium, guaiacum, guaiocum, gynecium, hymenium, hypogeum, illinium, illuvium, imperium, indicium, indusium, inoculum, labdanum, labellum, laburnum, laudanum, linoleum, lixivium, lomentum, lutecium, lutetium, masurium, meconium, mezereum, momentum, mycelium, ngultrum, nobelium, olibanum, oncidium, oogonium, origanum, patagium, peculium, pendulum, peponium, peridium, perineum, philtrum, plastrum, platinum, plectrum, polonium, pronotum, psyllium, pudendum, puparium, pygidium, pyxidium, ramentum, refugium, residuum, rosarium, rubidium, samarium, scandium, scholium, secundum, sedilium, selenium, silicium, solarium, solatium, spectrum, speculum, sphagnum, spiculum, splenium, sudarium, syconium, tantalum, teetotum, thallium, timpanum, titanium, tomentum, trillium, triticum, tympanum, vanadium, variorum, vasculum, velarium, veratrum, vexillum, viaticum, viburnum, vinculum, vivarium

9-letter words

americium, anthodium, anthurium, antiserum, arboretum, asphaltum, athenaeum, bacterium, berkelium, beryllium, botulinum, bronchium, bubblegum, calcaneum, caldarium, calvarium, capitulum, castoreum, claustrum, clitellum, coccidium, colchicum, collegium, colluvium, collyrium, colosseum, colostrum, contagium, continuum, conundrum, credendum, criterium, ctenidium, cubiculum, cymbidium, decennium, dentalium, deuterium, diazonium, dichasium, doronicum, effluvium, endosteum, epicedium, epimysium, equisetum, euphonium, flabellum, flagellum, gelsemium, germanium, gymnasium, gynaeceum, gynaecium, gynoecium, harmonium, herbarium, hospitium, hydronium, indecorum, lanthanum, magnesium, manubrium, marsupium, mausoleum, mazaedium, menstruum, neodymium, neptunium, operculum, opusculum, palladium, paramylum, petroleum, plutonium, pollinium, polygonum, potassium, practicum, presidium, pterygium, pycnidium, pyrethrum, responsum, reticulum, rhizobium, rostellum, ruthenium, sacrarium, sargassum, sarmentum, scutellum, sensillum, sensorium, septarium, spirillum, stomodeum, strontium, subphylum, sugarplum, sulfonium, sympodium, symposium, syncytium, tegmentum, tellurium, tenaculum, terrarium, trapezium, triennium, trifolium, triforium, ultimatum, unguentum, uredinium, uropygium, vestigium, ytterbium, zirconium

10-letter words

acetabulum, ambulacrum, androecium, antebellum, apothecium, ascogonium, auditorium, cafetorium, cerebellum, cinerarium, cockalorum, colloquium, compendium, consortium, curriculum, delphinium, dysprosium, epicardium, epidendrum, epineurium, epithelium, gadolinium, glochidium, haustellum, haustorium, honorarium, hypanthium, involucrum, kettledrum, lawrencium, lebensraum, lycopodium, meerschaum, memorandum, millennium, miracidium, molybdenum, moratorium, myocardium, nasturtium, natatorium, nephridium, oceanarium, ommatidium, opprobrium, osmeterium, osmiridium, pancratium, panjandrum, paramecium, parapodium, perimysium, periosteum, peritoneum, petrolatum, phyllodium, plasmodium, polemonium, postbellum, postpartum, praesidium, primordium, principium, procambium, promethium, propylaeum, proscenium, prostomium, psalterium, puerperium, quadrivium, referendum, sanatorium, sanitarium, sanitorium, sclerotium, seaborgium, sequestrum, sestertium, simulacrum, spermatium, sporangium, stomodaeum, stramonium, suboptimum, substratum, sudatorium, technetium, triclinium

11-letter words

animalculum, antependium, antheridium, antirrhinum, archegonium, aspergillum, bryophyllum, californium, candelabrum, carpogonium, clostridium, condominium, corrigendum, crematorium, cypripedium, definiendum, desideratum, einsteinium, endocardium, endometrium, endothecium, endothelium, equilibrium, florilegium, gametangium, hesperidium, hormogonium, incunabulum, interregnum, latifundium, leprosarium, magisterium, mediastinum, mendelevium, mesothelium, monochasium, ostensorium, pandemonium, pelargonium, penicillium, pericardium, pericranium, perineurium, perithecium, phosphonium, pittosporum, planetarium, podophyllum, positronium, proctodaeum, prothallium, quadrennium, retinaculum, scriptorium, sempervivum, sporogonium, staminodium, stylopodium, succedaneum, termitarium, tetrazolium, ultravacuum, unnilhexium

12-letter words

appressorium, archesporium, diverticulum, epithalamium, hibernaculum, infundibulum, nonpetroleum, perionychium, praseodymium, protactinium, prothalamium, pseudopodium, quinquennium, radiothorium, spermagonium, superpremium, superstratum, transuranium, unnilpentium, unnilquadium, xiphisternum

13-letter words

armamentarium, chrysanthemum, decamethonium, hexamethonium, mycobacterium, odontoglossum, perichondrium, rutherfordium, zoosporangium

14-letter words

chondrocranium, cyanobacterium, disequilibrium, megasporangium, nonequilibrium, radiostrontium, spermatogonium

15-letter words

archaebacterium, corynebacterium, enterobacterium, microsporangium

16-letter words

mesembryanthemum

697 words found.