Parturitional Injury of the Head and Neck

Abstract

Parturitional injuries refer to injuries sustained during and secondary to fetal delivery. The skull, brain, and head and neck regions are frequently involved. Accurate differentiation and classification of the various injuries is essential for treatment, prognosis, and parental counseling. In this review, we discuss the various "bumps and lumps" that maybe encountered along the neonatal skull as well as the most frequent calvarial and intracranial parturitional injuries. In addition, a short discussion of the most common head and neck, facial, and spinal lesions is included. Various mimickers and risk factors are also presented.

Accidental Head Trauma in Children

“…This space extends to the orbital margins anteriorly, the nuchal ridge posteriorly, and the temporal fascia laterally (Huisman et al 2015;King and Boothroyd 1998). This space extends to the orbital margins anteriorly, the nuchal ridge posteriorly, and the temporal fascia laterally (Huisman et al 2015;King and Boothroyd 1998).…”

“…The incidence of instrumental vaginal delivery varies between countries, and the use of forceps has decreased in the last years in favor of vacuum extraction or cesarean section (Doumouchtsis and Arulkumaran 2008;Huisman et al 2015). It usually results from instrumental delivery, which may be performed for fetal or maternal indications.…”

“…They occur in about 1-2 % of spontaneous vaginal deliveries, in 6-10 % of vacuum extractions, and in 4 % of forceps deliveries (Huisman et al 2015;Johanson and Menon 2000). They occur in about 1-2 % of spontaneous vaginal deliveries, in 6-10 % of vacuum extractions, and in 4 % of forceps deliveries (Huisman et al 2015;Johanson and Menon 2000).…”

“…Intracranial hemorrhages occur in approximately 5-6 live births per 10,000 (Huisman et al 2015). They are mostly related to abnormal labor and not to the mode of delivery (Towner et al 1999).…”

“…They are mostly related to abnormal labor and not to the mode of delivery (Towner et al 1999). Epidural hemorrhages are rare in neonates, accounting for 2 % of all intracranial hemorrhages and can result from injuries of the middle meningeal artery, being frequently associated with cephalohematoma or skull fractures (Huisman et al 2015). Subdural hemorrhage is the most common intracranial hemorrhage after instrumental delivery (King and Boothroyd 1998), accounting for 73 % of all cranial brain injuries in term neonates in a study by Pollina and colleagues (2001).…”