The nurse notices that an infant has a large, soft lump on the side of his head and that his mother is very concerned. The mother tells the nurse that she noticed the lump approximately 8 hours after her baby's birth and that it seems to be getting bigger. What is a possible explanation for this?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A cephalhematoma is a subperiosteal hemorrhage that is the result of birth trauma. It is soft, fluctuant, and well defined over one cranial bone. It appears several hours after birth and gradually increases in size. Hydrocephalus is enlarged head due to increased cerebral spinal fluid. Craniosynostosis is a severe deformity of the head with marked asymmetry caused by premature closure of the sutures. Caput succedaneum is edematous swelling and ecchymosis of the presenting part of the head caused by birth trauma that usually causes the skull to look markedly asymmetric.

The Nurse Notices That an Infant Has a Large, Soft