P12.2: Epicranial subaponeurotic haemorrhage due to birth injury
Blood vessels beneath the child’s scalp were injured during the birth.
The bones in the skull are called cranial bones. Many different cranial bones together form the framework for the head and face. The scalp covers the cranial bones. Beneath the scalp and on the skull bones there are different blood vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen to the tissue.
The child is subjected to great pressure during a vaginal birth. This pressure is necessary for the child to be born through the pelvis and the vagina. The pressure, along with the narrow birth canal, can injure the child’s blood vessels.
When blood vessels beneath the scalp are injured, blood can come out. The blood collects beneath the scalp. You may be able to see or feel the collected blood as a swelling on the head.
Blood vessels in the child’s head can suffer injuries due to the use of a delivery forceps or a suction cup. But the injuries can also occur when tools are not used. An unusually heavy bleed may be caused by a change in blood clotting. The purpose of clotting is to stop bleeds. If clotting changes, bleeds can be heavier or last longer than usual.
Additional indicator
On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.
- G: Confirmed diagnosis
- V: Tentative diagnosis
- Z: Condition after
- A: Excluded diagnosis
- L: Left
- R: Right
- B: Both sides
Further information
Source
Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).