Birth by vacuum extraction: neonatal outcome

Abstract

Subgaleal (subaponeurotic) haemorrhage (SGH) is a serious and sometimes life-threatening condition associated with vacuum extraction. With increasing use of the vacuum extractor as the preferred instrument for assisted vaginal delivery, neonatal paediatricians should be prepared to encounter a greater number of infants with SGH and other effects associated with vacuum extraction. In order to reduce morbidity and to prevent mortality in infants with SGH, neonatal caregivers should be able to recognize the occurrence of this type of bleeding and to institute appropriate forms of management. This annotation describes the effects of vacuum extraction on the newborn infant and suggests some measures for the management of these conditions.