Moles and birthmarks in children from birth - how many beliefs and will be associated with them! But this is just an accumulation of cells containing an excessive amount of pigment. And medicine unites such clusters in a single term - nevi. It is about them and birthmarks in children that will be discussed in this article. And you will learn that you owe your birthmark to every mom on your body. And about why a child’s birthmark appears and then manifests itself, how to care for it and whether it is worth removing.
Everyone has a nevus
The Latin word naevus also 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 certain species are highly likely to degenerate into malignant formations.
Most moles appear on the person’s body by adulthood, but some may appear later in life. While the body is growing, the birthmark of the child is growing.
Say thanks to mom
All nevi in our bodies are laid 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 determined genetically.
Some birthmarks can occur during childbirth, but most often they pass within a few years.
There are many reasons for violations of cell migrations 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.
- The effect of toxic allergenic agents, including the use of contraceptives.
- Ionizing radiation, including ultraviolet.
- Pathologies of pregnancy and hormonal surges during its course.
- Fetal skin injury.
- Hereditary features.
But this is far from all. There is a separate category of birthmarks in children, which appear only in newborns and pass like simple bruises.
Is it dangerous or not dangerous?
The histological classification divides all nevi into two groups:
- Melanoma-hazardous (Mongolian spot, papillomatous nevus, fibroepithelial nevus, halonevus, intradermal pigmented nevus).
- Potentially melanoma-dangerous, that is, most likely capable of the formation of malignant pathologies - uncontrolled proliferation of cells with a pigment called “melanoma” (border pigment birthmark in a child, dysplastic nevus, Ota nevus, giant pigment nevus and blue nevus).
But you should not be 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 the baby was born with a birthmark in the region 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 on the child’s back, 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 are no data on degeneration into malignant such spots.
Papillomatous nevus is caused by the human papillomavirus (which is present in 99.9% of us) and has an unpleasant appearance of a dark mushroom on the leg. It looks unsightly in open areas of the skin, but does not pose a life threat.
Fibroepithelial moles are the most common. Usually they are round, with an elastic consistency. They grow for a while, and then their growth stops.
Halonevuses appear against a background of 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.
The intradermal mole is a feature of the more likely puberty period of human development. It can change its shape and completely disappear.
Dangerous borderline and dysplastic nevi
Border pigment spots in children can be found on the palms and feet and do not have a clear border. In addition, they contain many melanocytes, which determines their bright brown or even purple color. Such a birthmark can appear in a child on the face, body, 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. Coloring is very variable. Such spots in 90% of cases lead to melanoma and therefore are removed after a biopsy.
Nevus Ota
A very special nevus that appears on the face of a child. 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.
Converting to a malignant formation is rare, but a correlation with ultraviolet radiation has been noted.
Unpleasant and plain
A birthmark in a child that is noticeable from birth and occupies a whole anatomical region (half face, half body, entire thigh) is a giant pigmented nevus. Its surface may be uneven, with cracks and warts, hair can grow on it. In general, cosmetic surgery is necessary if such a "happiness" has fallen to a child who has a birthmark on his face.
Malignant nevus is rare. Excision is performed by surgeons, often with a skin transplant.
Precancerous Blue Nevus
It can be of all options in blue. There is no clear border, and can appear in any part of the body. A distinctive feature - during palpation, a thickening is felt, and hair does not grow in this area.
Such nevi require careful examination and, if necessary, biopsies.
Red birthmarks in newborns
Young children have 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 congestions of blood vessels. Pediatricians are advised not to worry about them.
- Hemangiomas (berry, cavernous, star-shaped) - hemorrhages under the skin in newborns. More often pass with age, but sometimes persist throughout life.
- “Coffee” spots are often self-passing flat formations with clear boundaries, the color of light coffee. It should be worried only if there are many of them and they are more than 5 cm in diameter. This may indicate liver problems in the child.
- Flaming nevus - this formation at an early age is removed with a laser. It is located more often on the face and upper limbs. It has a bright purple color and does not pass by itself.
Light Nevus
Meet quite rarely. These are white birthmarks in a child, which are of two types:
- Anemic spot - nevus, which is due to the underdevelopment of blood vessels.
- Nevus Yadassona is a pathology of the development of the sebaceous glands. 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 the birthmark to the 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 with a pediatrician and observe its development. And observe carefully, recording its development in photographs. Only in this way can you notice changes in the size and color scheme of the spot that has appeared.
The opinions of doctors - pediatricians and oncologists - regarding the effectiveness of early removal of nevi are mixed. It should be taken into account the fact that many birthmarks simply disappear with age.
Thinking about removing a tumor is worth it if:
- The birthmark in a child began to rapidly increase in size.
- The nevus is constantly damaged during hygiene procedures, and the wound itches and itches.
- Nevus has a significant cosmetic defect.
- The mole is located on the mucous membranes of the nose, eyelids or in the ear canal.
In any case, parents should not panic, but consult a specialist. Sometimes even a few.
What can be done with a mole
Modern medicine and cosmetology have accumulated quite extensive experience and tools to combat benign and malignant skin formations. We give them as the morbidity for the patient increases:
- A variety of injectable drugs that are injected directly into the stain. They contribute to the death of cells, blood vessels, tissues. There are many certified in Russia. But it is worth contacting specialized clinics, and not beauty salons.
- Methods of cryotherapy - freezing with liquid nitrogen. The result is the same - the death of a certain area of the skin. But this method is applicable only to small warts and nevuses.
- Laser therapy - a beam of powerful light burns out a 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 a scalpel excision of damaged tissue. And today, a fairly relevant and reliable method. The scalpel in the hands of a skilled surgeon works wonders even with very large birthmarks in children. But the method is traumatic, the healing is painful.
But even if the parents really want to remove even a small birthmark from the child, and the doctor strongly recommends not to do this, reconcile. Sometimes the removal of a mole leads to serious consequences, and only a specialist can predict this.
And Andryushka has freckles?
The presence of freckles in humans is a sign determined by heredity. These are the same ordinary nevi, which simply becomes larger during the active sun. So no matter how much you fight with them, if your mom or dad have them, you will have them too. After all, the presence of freckles is a dominant feature.
But in general, this is not so bad. Look at successful Hollywood actresses Julianne Moore, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Kidman and the wife of the man who claimed to never marry Jack Nicholson - Lara Flynn Boyle.