PARENT ATTENTION FOR BABY BIRTHMARK CARE
Birthmark at our lovely baby is something that sometimes could make parent
worry, and some of parent save their worries at the end of a medical visit.
This information which is written by Robert Needlman, M.D will give
the information about what and how to take care birthmark at our baby.
The case of a bothersome birthmark is a good example: Sophie, a healthy 6 month
baby was brought in for a routine check up. With her were her mother and father,
and mother's sister. The first doctor to examine the baby and talk with the
parents was one of our residents, a competent and conscientious young woman
who had completed her MD two years ago. After spending nearly 20 minutes with
the family, the resident summarized the case for me, her supervisor.
"This is a healthy 12 month old girl," she began, detailing all the
ways in which Sophie was doing well - eating, sleeping, walking, babbling, and
so on. The one concern the parents had was a birthmark on the side of the child's
face. The resident described the mark as a grayish discoloration with normal
skin texture, irregularly shaped, about 2 inches in diameter, located on the
right temple near the hair line.
In pediatrics, such a birthmark is called a "hyperpigmented macule."
Hyperpigmented means simply that there is more skin pigment in this particular
region than in the rest of the skin. Macule is the medical term for a spot that
cannot be felt, because it is flat, as opposed to a spot that is raised up or
sunken down.
Hyperpigmented macules used to be called Mongolian spots, I guess because they
reminded someone of Mongolia in some way (medicine still has some of those silly,
outdated terms floating around.) Mongolian spots show up most often on the back
and buttocks; over time, they tend to fade while the rest of the skin darkens.
In a few years they are rarely noticeable unless you look hard. The bottom line
is, they are harmless. They don't cause disease and are not linked to any illness.
They are something we pediatricians notice, reassure parents about, and move
on.
Sophie's spot was in an unusual location, but in every other way it appeared
to be a typical hyperpigmented macule. In short, No big deal. But, after a few
moments with Sophie, I could tell that it was a big deal for this family. I
began my examination of Sophie by remarking on how bright-eyed she was, how
she studied me with interest, and a little bit of apprehension (appropriate
for her age). After checking me out, and looking back to her mother for reassurance,
Sophie deftly reached for my stethoscope and gave it a tug. The look of concentration
on her face turned to a shy smile, and the smile turned into a giggle. Sophie's
parents were clearly entranced, as I was.
Then I mentioned the birthmark, and right away I could sense a change in the
room. In unison, Sophie's mother, father, and aunt leaned forward, concern on
their faces. And all my attempts to educate them about hyperpigmented macules
seemed to fall on deaf ears.
The reason soon became clear: A few years ago, Sophie's parents had lost a
child to a rare disorder called Sturge-Weber disease. Sturge-Weber is a condition
in which blood vessels form abnormally in the brain, resulting in destruction
of brain tissue on one side, with severe seizures and mental retardation, and
sometimes, death. One of the hallmarks of Sturge-Weber is a very distinctive
reddish-purple birthmark, overlying the upper part of the face on one side,
just where Sophie had her birthmark.
It wasn't hard, after that, to point out that the faintly grayish patch on
Sophie's temple was really very different from the livid purple and red mark
that had covered the upper half of her brother's face. Medically, there is no
connection that I know of between these two very different appearing birthmarks.
One is a caused by an overgrowth of abnormal blood vessels, the other is due
to the activity of pigment-containing skin cells-very different systems, biologically.
I think that the similarity in location was simply coincidence. But it certainly
makes sense why Sophie's parents would be worried. I would have been, too.
Sophie's story makes me wonder how often explanations that make sense to us
doctors really miss the point, as far as parents are concerned. It takes time
and trust for parents to reveal their worst fears and make the connections that
allow us to understand and help. (by Robert Needlman, M.D, Baby.TopResource.Net
Reference)
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