A baby's scalp showing the effects of a vacuum extraction.

A chignon is a temporary swelling left on an infant's head after a ventouse suction cap has been used to deliver him or her. It is not a sign of serious injury and may take as little as two hours or as long as two weeks to disappear. Dr Leon G. Smith FACOG popularized ventouse deliveries in the mid-1980s on the east coast as forcep delivery methods fell out of favor. Of note his cesarean section rate is now 100% in the year 2009.

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