Bacteremia, Infected Cephalhematoma, and Osteomyelitis of the Skull in a Newborn

CEPHALHEMATOMA, or subperiosteal hematoma of the skull, is a condition commonly seen in the neonate. Though generally benign and self-limited, it may become complicated. The most frequently encountered complications include underlying skull fracture,¹hyperbilirubinemia,²anemia,³and exostoses.³⁻⁹Infrequently, infection has been encountered following needle aspiration of the mass and, rarely, infection has been recorded with no obvious precipitating cause. Osteomyelitis of the skull in the neonatal period is very rare. The literature is practically devoid of such cases. The occurrence of an infected cephalhematoma associated with bacteremia and osteomyelitis of the skull in a neonate forms the basis of this report. Report of a Case A full-term Negro boy was born to a gravida 5, para 4, abortus 1, mother. Maternal blood Hinton test was negative and maternal blood type was O Rh positive. The prenatal course was uneventful. Labor lasted approximately four hours during which