Caput Succedaneum

How Do They Treat This Condition?

As a birth injury, caput succedaneum usually resolves itself within a couple of days after birth. Often, you don’t need to treat it, but you should still keep a close eye on your child. Doctors also try not to treat this condition unless necessary because draining the fluid can lead to an infection that can be quite serious.

Developing Into Other Conditions

You must be careful in monitoring caput succedaneum because it can develop into other conditions. For example, it can cause an increase in bilirubin, which can cause jaundice. Higher levels of bilirubin can cause brain damage as the chemical enters the brain tissue of the child. You can’t leave this undiagnosed because, without treatment, it can lead to more serious problems. These can include issues like brain damage or even death.

The Risks Associated with This Condition

One of the greatest risks that you will face from this comes from developing into other conditions. You have a higher likelihood of this happening as a result of a long delivery. It can also happen if the doctor uses too much force when extracting the child with a forceps or a vacuum extraction tool. This can also lead to other problems like the birth injury known as cerebral palsy. If this happens, you should seek financial help because of how the costs can rise exponentially.

What Does the Prognosis Look Like?

Let’s say that your child suddenly developed a case of jaundice. However, the doctor treats it immediately. Under most circumstances, you don’t usually have to worry about long-term consequences. Also, the child’s scalp will normally heal from caput succedaneum almost immediately. However, you have to treat jaundice as soon as you catch it because this can lead to long-term health problems.

You don’t want your child to be born with any disorder, but caput succedaneum is less serious than cerebral palsy. If your child was born with this disorder, cerebral palsy, or another type, medical staff might be at fault, and you should explore your options for filing a lawsuit. Still, you have to keep a close eye on it because it can develop into other, more serious problems. Parents will often feel afraid and confused about what happens to their children when they have this condition. The doctor will usually respond to it immediately and look for other potential problems that could arise.