Spontaneous Drainage of Neonatal Cephalohematoma: A Delayed Complication of Scalp Abscess

Abstract

Neonatal cephalohematomas are known complications of traumatic deliveries, and the majority of cases resolve without intervention. Scalp abscesses are rare and often described as benign complications of fetal scalp monitoring. Spontaneous drainage of a neonatal cephalohematoma, with or without associated scalp abscess, has not yet been described. We present a case of a neonate with recurrent Escherichia coli bacteremia and spontaneous drainage of a large cephalohematoma through an overlying scalp abscess.