Question

The following are the characteristics of caput succedaneum, EXCEPT

• A. It is present at birth
• B. It does not cause jaundice in the newborn
• C. It is limited to an individual bone
• D. It disappears within a few hours of birth

Hint:

Ask whether the swelling can cross a suture line or not.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Recall what caput succedaneum is.
Caput succedaneum is diffuse swelling of the baby's scalp caused by pressure during a vaginal delivery. Fluid collects in the soft tissue just under the skin, above the periosteum, the covering layer of the skull bone.

Step 2: Compare it with cephalhematoma.
Cephalhematoma is a different kind of scalp swelling, caused by bleeding underneath the periosteum. Since the periosteum is firmly attached to the skull at the suture lines, a cephalhematoma cannot cross a suture and stays limited to one bone. Caput succedaneum, in contrast, lies above the periosteum, so it can cross suture lines and is not confined to a single bone.

Step 3: Check the other features against caput succedaneum.
Caput is present right at birth, since it results from the pressure of labor. It resolves quickly, usually within a few hours to a couple of days, unlike cephalhematoma, which can take weeks. Because the fluid is not trapped under the periosteum the way blood is in cephalhematoma, caput does not cause significant breakdown of blood into bilirubin, so it does not lead to jaundice in the newborn.

Step 4: Identify the false statement.
Being limited to one bone is a feature of cephalhematoma, not caput succedaneum. This is the statement that does not belong.

Final Answer:
Caput succedaneum crosses suture lines and is not confined to a single bone, so calling it limited to one bone is incorrect.
\[ \boxed{\text{It is limited to an individual bone}} \]