ABSTRACT
Intra-cranial haemorrhages are uncommon but are reported following the use of both forceps and Ventouse extraction. The commonest variety, subdural haemorrhage, occurs just outside the surface of the brain and is caused by rupture of the connecting veins or venous sinuses. Venous sinuses are large blood vessels in the skull but outside the brain matter. There are connecting veins from the veins on the surface of the brain to these sinuses. It is the connecting veins that can be ruptured by trauma. The incidence of subdural haemorrhage is thought to be around two per 1,000 births. The damage to the brain is caused by a pressure effect from the bleeding, which then compromises blood flow and oxygen delivery to brain tissue.
