Cephalic hematoma

[AuntG]

Hi ladies.

Can anyone tell me how long it generally takes for cephalic hemotomas to break down? I pushed my poor baby out so fast and hard, she's now got bubble head! She's in the hospital now, because of problems associated with Down Syndrome, and a few days ago they told me they'd but her under the lights to help dissolve the hematomas but they never did. I'm not worried, but would like to know when we might start to see them go away.

Thanks!!!!

[mwherbs]

it can take a long time, 3 months or so some go away faster but I haven't really seen that-- the middle tends to go away first with a dough nut like ring left -sometimes it will calcify
supplemental vitamin K is probably a good idea this is one of those "trauma" things that uses up vitamin K.

[Jane]

The lights are for jaundice. As the body breaks down unneeded blood cells, it produces bilirubin, which needs to get conjugated and excreted in the stool. The lights help with conjugating the bilirubin, but the body still has to breakdown the blood in the bruise. So, the lights help the end process, but don't neccesarily make the bruise go away faster.
There's no way I know of to speed it up. If it's just a hematoma, it'll go away in a couple of days to a couple of weeks. If it's a cephalohematoma, it will likely take months, as mwherbs said.
One thing to know: while a fast labor is one reason why a baby might have one, sometimes they just appear for no known reason. I don't think it's something you did or didn't do to her.

[AuntG]

Thank you both, and thank you Apricot for telling me it may not be my fault. Everytime I see her I say, "Sorry about that whole birthing thing, sweetie."

Well, I was getting pretty fond of her bubblehead anyway! Looks like it may be around for months then. I am truly very grateful for your fast responses.


I can always depend on MDC mamas! Thanks!