Infant Skull Fracture Treatment

Fact Checked

Infant skull fracture treatments depend on the type of fracture, its severity, and whether or not it causes significant brain damage. Mild fractures do not always require treatment, but moderate and severe injuries require surgery. Treatments for long-term complications include additional surgery, medications, educational interventions, and therapy.

How Infant Skull Fractures Happen

Infant skull fractures during birth are more common than many parents realize. They can happen simply from the pressure of being in the womb and squeezing through the birth canal during delivery.

While the infant skull is flexible and can usually withstand these pressures, sometimes a fracture happens. It is more likely if the baby is a large size, presents in a difficult position like breech, or if labor is long and difficult.[1]

Although a fracture may occur naturally, the most common cause is the use of instruments. The force that forceps and vacuum extractors place on the infant skull can be enough to fracture it.

If a doctor uses too much force or fails to detect complications and does not perform a preventative Cesarean section, the fracture and the resulting damage can be considered medical malpractice.

Treatment for Linear Skull Fractures

There are three different types of skull fractures that an infant can suffer during and after delivery. A linear fracture is the most common, simplest, and least likely to cause complications and symptoms.

This is a simple line break that is not severe enough to cause the plates of the skull to move past each other or to lift up or down.[2]

In most cases of a linear skull fracture in an infant, no treatment is needed. The fracture and any damage it caused to the brain will heal in time.

With a more severe linear fracture, treatment may be necessary depending on the fracture’s impact on the brain. Surgical treatment may be required if it has caused bleeding, known as a hematoma or hemorrhage.

Some bleeding will heal naturally, but if there are symptoms or the bleeding is more serious, surgery to drain it and relieve pressure on the brain may be necessary.

Depressed Skull Fracture Treatment

A depressed skull fracture is typically more serious than a linear fracture. This occurs when the skull is sunken into the brain. This has a more significant potential to cause bleeding, put pressure on the brain, injure the brain or cause lasting brain damage.[3]

There may be a minor, mild depressed fracture that heals independently and smooths out over time with no treatment necessary. Sometimes this type of fracture is associated with seizures. Seizure medication to prevent or reduce their incidence may be required.

For a more serious depressed fracture, surgery may be a treatment option. This may be especially necessary if the fracture is open and if the depressed part of the skull is five millimeters or deeper. If the fracture occurs over a sinus, it may damage it, requiring more extensive surgery.

The surgery elevates the fracture and repairs the damaged sinus. If a depressed fracture causes fragments of bone to penetrate the outer layer of the meninges, the membrane that covers the brain, emergency surgery may be required.

Treatment for Diastatic Fractures

The infant skull is different from the adult skull. It consists of multiple plates held together by sutures. The sutures expand as the brain grows and eventually harden. A diastatic fracture occurs along one of these sutures.

This can be problematic as the child grows as it can expand with the growth of the brain, at which point it is called a grow or growing skull fracture.[4]

A growing skull fracture is an infrequent but serious complication that can occur in infants as they grow older. It usually develops within a few months of the original fracture. It can be associated with seizures, pressure on the brain, neurological complications, and damage to the meninges and brain.

It is important that an infant with a diastatic fracture is monitored for a growing fracture. If one does develop, it must be corrected surgically, closing the gap in the meninges. However, the fracture in the skull is not likely to be surgically sealed, as the child’s brain still needs to grow and expand.

Long-Term Treatment for Disabilities

Skull fractures may cause long-term symptoms and disabilities in children depending on the severity and whether it was treated immediately. The kind of damage that a skull fracture may cause includes brain damage.

That type of harm to the brain can lead to several symptoms and types of disabilities, from cognitive, developmental, and behavioral disabilities to physical impairments and even paralysis.[5]

Treatment for these is varied and depends on the type and severity of the disability:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Medications
• Surgeries
• Speech and language therapy
• Educational interventions
• Home care
• Assistive devices

Compensation to Cover Infant Skull Fracture Treatment

Infant skull fracture treatment may be a one-time surgery or involve years of care and support. It all depends on the severity of the fracture and how it affects the brain.

A family with a brain-damaged child could be facing the costs of institutionalized care, home care, therapy, medications, travel, and doctor’s appointments for decades.

If you think that the damage caused to your child in this situation was the fault of someone responsible for your care and your child’s care, you might be able to sue to get a settlement.

Medical malpractice is serious. If your doctor or other caregiver made a mistake that caused your child so much harm, you are entitled to seek justice.

A birth injury lawyer can help you you’re your case and prove that your child’s injury was not simply an accident. With the compensation from a lawsuit, you can focus more on your child’s care and provide the best care and less worry about how you will pay for treatment.