You may notice what appears to be a swollen area, knot, lump, ridge, or another issue with your newborn’s head, but you can only know if your baby has an infant skull bulge for sure by consulting a trained and trusted doctor who can evaluate the baby and offer advice. In some cases, a prompt diagnosis is important, so reach out to your doctor as soon as possible about any concerns.
While you may not know exactly what is going on with your baby, parents can often visually recognize an unusual area of swelling or a new bulge. In some cases, the baby was born with the symptoms, and you may notice that the baby’s head just feels different in a certain area. In some cases, the soft spots may feel too soft or too tense, or like they are protruding instead of slightly sinking in.
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Medical Conditions That Cause Infant Skull Bulges
There are a number of birth injuries and congenital conditions that can cause infant skull bulges or the appearance of a bulge on a baby’s head. They range widely in severity, and some occur in infants who experience difficult deliveries or are delivered using a vacuum device or forceps.
- Cephalohematoma: cephalohematoma is a pocket of blood between the baby’s skull and scalp. It is generally reabsorbed by the body without serious side effects.
- Caput succedaneum: a caput succedaneum is a type of swelling of the baby’s scalp that may be caused by the forces the child endured during labor and delivery. These babies may have a “conehead”-like appearance in many cases.
- Subgaleal hemorrhage: a subgaleal hemorrhage occurs between the periosteum and scalp. When the bleed is heavy, the baby could lose significant blood volume because of this type of injury. It requires immediate medical attention.
- Craniosynostosis: craniosynostosis is a medical condition that causes the baby’s skull bones to come together before they should, which may lead to problems with the brain having space to grow, as well as the shape of the baby’s head.
- Bulging fontanelle: if your child’s soft spots bulge out or feel tense instead of being firm and slightly concave, it may be because the brain is swelling or there is too much fluid inside the brain.
- Skull fracture: skull fractures that occur during delivery may heal without side effects or could lead to further injury. It is imperative to get an accurate diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis for your child if they suffer a skull fracture.
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Diagnosis and Treatment of Conditions Related to an Infant Skull Bulge
You should see a trusted doctor for an examination and diagnosis as soon as possible. There are many causes of this type of bulge, and a doctor can give your child a diagnosis and begin treatment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about one in 33 babies has a defect or injury at birth.
A doctor will know if your baby has an infant skull bulge by performing a visual and physical exam of the baby. Once they establish that the symptom does exist, they will work to determine the specific diagnosis and establish a treatment plan.
Depending on the diagnosis and how they are affected, your child’s prognosis could vary widely. In some cases, they may only require observation or minor treatment. In others, surgery may be necessary. For those with skull fractures or brain swelling, monitoring and early intervention may be important to address any concerns about motor skill development, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, or other long-term effects.
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If you believe that your child’s infant skull bulge and the underlying condition that caused it occurred as a result of a preventable birth injury, or if the doctor ignored your concerns and failed to diagnose or treat the baby’s condition, you may have a viable medical malpractice claim against that doctor or the medical facility.
To learn more about if your child’s injury and treatment history may support a birth injury medical malpractice insurance claim or civil trial, get a free case review and consultation from the Birth Injury Lawyers Group today.
A member of our team can speak with you for free today, and we represent our clients on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you will not need to pay us anything upfront for our representation.
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