Scalp abscess: a benign and infrequent complication of fetal monitoring.

Scalp abscess is an infrequent and usually benign complication of the implantation of fetal heart rate electrodes that becomes noticeable from 2 to 10 days after birth. The lesions are usually single and localized. Most exudates will produce aerobic and/or anaerobic bacteria similar to the cervical flora of the late trimester of pregnancy. Scalp abscesses are more likely to occur subsequent to prolonged rupture of the membranes and an extended period of fetal heart rate monitoring. Local treatment may be adequate in most cases, but parenteral antibiotic therapy may be needed in others. Since herpes simplex virus infection has been reported to start as vesicles around the site of electrode implantation, careful attention to the maternal history must be given. The parents of infants who undergo internal fetal heart rate monitoring should be given careful and concise follow-up instructions when the infant is discharged from the hospital. It is apparent after a decade of experience that the benefits of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring, even when invasive, far outweigh the risks of this still infrequent complication.