(A) Caput succeda-neum: From the pressure of the birth canal, an edematous area is present beneath the scalp. Note how it crosses the midline of the skull. (B) Cephalhematoma: A small capillary beneath the periosteum of the skull bone has ruptured, and blood has collected under the periosteum of the bone. Note how the swelling now stops at the midline. Because the blood is contained under the periosteum, it is necessarily stopped by a suture line.
