Birthmarks in children: types of spots, their color, shape and size, causes and advice from pediatricians on child skin care

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Moles and birthmarks in children from birth - how many beliefs and signs are associated with them! But it's just a cluster of cells containing an excessive amount of pigment. And medicine combines such clusters into a single term - nevi. It is about them and birthmarks in children that will be discussed in this article. And you will also learn that you owe every mole on your body to your mother. And about why a birthmark appears in a child and then manifests itself, how to care for it and whether it is worth removing it.

Everyone has nevi

The Latin word naevus means "mole". These are benign congenital or subsequently acquired various malformations of human skin cells. Usually nevi do not require treatment and do not threaten the life of the child. But birthmarks in children and adults of some species are highly likelydegeneration into malignant formations.

Most moles appear on a person's body by adulthood, but some may appear at a later age. As the body grows, so does the child's birthmark.

Say "thank you" to mom

All nevi are formed in the embryonic period of development, when the circulatory system and skin cells are formed. And the reason for this is a violation of the migration process of the precursors of melanocytes (melanoblasts), which are in the skin of each of us and give it its original color. The more melanoblasts, the darker we are, and their number is genetically determined.

Some birthmarks may occur during childbirth, but they usually resolve within a few years.

There are many reasons for violations of cell migration in the intrauterine development of the fetus and the appearance of birthmarks in children, the main of which are:

• Various infectious diseases suffered by a woman during pregnancy.
• Exposure to toxic allergenic agents, including taking contraceptives.
• Ionizing radiation, including ultraviolet.
• Pathologies of pregnancy and hormonal surges during its course.
• Injury to the skin of the fetus.
• Hereditary features.

But that's not all. There is a separate category of birthmarks in children, which appear only in newborns and pass like simple bruises.

Dangerous or not dangerous?

Histologicalclassification divides all nevi into two groups:

• Melanomaniac (Mongolian spot, papillomatous nevi, fibroepithelial nevus, halonevus, intradermal pigmented nevi).
• Potentially melanoma-dangerous, that is, with a high probability of forming malignant pathologies - uncontrolled proliferation of cells with pigment, which is called "melanoma" (marginal pigmented birthmark in a child, dysplastic nevus, nevus of Ota, giant pigmented nevus and blue nevus).

But don't get scared right away. There are about 50 types of birthmarks in children. The most common are about 10 species. Such a classification makes it possible to assess the peculiarity of the nevus and approximately predict its development.

When not to worry

If a baby was born with a birthmark in the area of the sacrum or buttocks of a bluish color, this is a Mongolian spot. It can be up to 10 cm in diameter and have a gray tint. If a birthmark is located in a child on the back, then there may be problems with the structure of the spine. In most children, it disappears by the age of 5, but even if it has not disappeared, there is no evidence of such spots degenerating into malignant ones.

Nevus papillomatousa is caused by the human papillomavirus (which is present in 99.9% of us) and has the nasty appearance of a dark fungus on the stalk. It looks unsightly on exposed skin, but is not life threatening.

Fibroepithelial moles are the most common. They are usually round, with an elastic consistency. They grow for a while and then stop growing.

Halonevises appear against the background of a reduced immune status and are characterized by a lighter halo. Round or oval, they rise above the skin and can serve as a symptom of internal autoimmune pathologies.

An intradermal mole is a feature of a rather pubertal period of human development. Can change its shape and completely disappear.

Dangerous borderline and dysplastic nevi

Borderline age spots in children can occur on the palms and feet and do not have a clear border. In addition, they contain a lot of melanocytes, which causes their bright brown or even purple color. Such a birthmark may appear in a child on the face, on the body, on the limbs. And grows with the body.

Dysplastic nevi can appear in both a newborn and an adult. But more often such pathologies are hereditary. These moles are located singly or in groups, in the inguinal and axillary cavities, on the back and on the hips. They are not flat and smooth and do not rise above the skin. Coloration is very variable. Such spots in 90% of cases lead to melanoma and therefore are removed after a biopsy.

Nevus of Ota

A very special nevus that appears on the face of a child. A birthmark in the form of a blue-black spot on the cheekbones, the edges of the orbits, the eye protein, in the cornea. This nevus has a clearly hereditary form and can be either single or multiple.

Rebirth into malignantformation is rare, but a correlation with ultraviolet radiation has been noted.

Unpleasant and ugly

A birthmark in a child, which is noticeable from birth and occupies an entire anatomical area (half the face, half the body, the entire thigh), is a giant pigmented nevus. Its surface may be uneven, with cracks and warts, and hair may grow on it. In general, cosmetic surgery is necessary if such "happiness" falls on a child who has a birthmark on his face.

Nevus malignancy is rare. Excision is performed by surgeons, often with skin grafts.

Precancerous blue nevus

It can be all variants of blue. There is no clear boundary, and it can appear in any part of the body. A distinctive feature is that on palpation, a seal is felt, and hair does not grow in this area.

These nevi require careful examination and, if necessary, a biopsy.

Red birthmarks in newborns

In young children there are a number of birthmarks that mothers should not worry about, namely:

• Simple red nevus - The most common red spots on the back of the head and limbs of newborns, which are simply clusters of blood vessels. Pediatricians are advised not to worry about them.
• Hemangiomas (berry, cavernous, stellate) - hemorrhages under the skin in newborns. Most often disappear with age, but sometimes persist throughout life.
• "Coffee" spots are often self-limiting flat formations with clear boundaries, the color of light coffee. You should only worry if there are a lot of them and they are more than 5 cm in diameter. This may indicate problems with the child's liver.
• Flaming nevus - such a formation at an early age is removed with a laser. It is located more often on the face and upper limbs. Has a bright purple color and does not go away on its own.

Light nevi

Meet quite rarely. These are white birthmarks in a child, which are of two types:

• Anemic spot - nevus, which is caused by underdevelopment of blood vessels.
• Nevus Yadassohn is a pathology of the development of the sebaceous glands. It is most often located in the scalp and has a light brown color. The size of such a pathology can reach 9 cm in diameter. And then the question of cosmetic removal of a birthmark to a child is not before the parents.

Delete or not?

Most often, parents who have seen any formation on the skin of their child, it is enough to consult a pediatrician and observe its development. And observe carefully, fixing its development in the photographs. This is the only way to notice changes in the size and color of the spot that has appeared in a timely manner.

The opinions of doctors - pediatricians and oncologists - about the effectiveness of early removal of nevi are ambiguous. One should also take into account the fact that many birthmarks simply disappear with age.

It is worth thinking about removing the neoplasm,if:

• The child's birthmark began to rapidly increase in size.
• Nevus is constantly damaged during hygiene procedures, and the wound itches and itches.
• Nevus has a significant cosmetic defect.
• A mole is located on the mucous membranes of the nose, on the eyelids or in the ear canal.

In any case, parents should not panic, but consult a specialist. Sometimes even several.

What can be done about a mole

Modern medicine and cosmetology have accumulated quite extensive experience and tools to combat benign and malignant skin formations. We will give them as the trauma for the patient increases:

• A variety of injectables that are injected directly into the spot. They contribute to the death of cells, blood vessels, tissues. There are many certified in Russia. But it is worth contacting specialized clinics, not beauty salons.
• Cryotherapy methods - freezing with liquid nitrogen. The result is the same - the death of a certain area of \u200b\u200bthe skin. But this method is only applicable to small warts and nevi.
• Laser therapy - a beam of powerful light burns out the nevus, the cells of which are simply dried. Painless, fast and high quality.
• Radio wave therapy. The principle of operation is the same as in laser therapy. It is carried out in most cases with anesthesia.
• Surgery. This is the excision of damaged tissue with a scalpel. And today it is quite relevant and reliable method. A scalpel in the hands of a skilled surgeon createsmiracles even with very large birthmarks in children. But the method is traumatic, healing is painful.

But even if parents really want to remove even a small birthmark from a child, and the doctor strongly recommends not to do this, accept it. Sometimes the removal of a mole leads to serious consequences, and only a specialist can predict this.

And Andryushka's freckles?

The presence of freckles in a person is a sign determined by heredity. These are the same ordinary nevi, which simply become larger during the period of active sun. So, no matter how much you struggle with them, if either mom or dad has them, you will have them too. After all, the presence of freckles is a dominant trait.

And in general, it's not so bad. Look at successful Hollywood actresses Juliana Moore, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Kidman and the wife of the man who said he would never marry Jack Nicholson, Lara Flynn Boyle.