Pediatric neurology
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Subdural hematomas are uncommon in term infants. The study objectives were to evaluate risk factors for and clinical significance of small subdural hematomas observed on computerized tomography. During a 3-year period, 26 near-term and term nonasphyxiated infants were found to have a subdural hematoma on computed tomography. ⋯ At discharge, nine infants with subdural hematoma exhibited an abnormal examination, i.e., mild hypotonia (n = 7) and Erb's palsy (n = 2). The clinical syndrome attributed to subdural hematoma was most often a subtle clinical problem. The presence of subdural hematoma documented by computed tomography is not necessarily always indicative of birth trauma and may occur as sequelae of an otherwise uncomplicated delivery.