Definition of birthmark
After the newborn is born, there may be some spots or papules on the skin or mucous membrane that are different in color from the skin itself, which are called neonatal birthmarks, also known as "birthmarks" and "pigmented nevus" in medicine. Birthmarks mostly occur in the baby's waist, buttocks, chest, back and limbs, generally blue or blue-gray patches. Most birthmarks don't matter, and many will disappear by themselves within a few years of the baby's birth, and no treatment is needed. The incidence of neonatal birthmarks is about 10%, which can be said to be very common. Most birthmarks only affect the appearance and do not need special treatment. However, some birthmarks may be combined with abnormalities of body organs, and even have the possibility of malignant transformation, which must be actively treated. For example, some cavernous hemangioma proliferates too fast, which will cause limb deformity, not only ugly appearance, but also dysfunction. Even if hemangioma expands too fast, it will form tissue necrosis, and excessive consumption of platelets will make coagulation function low and bleeding will not stop. Some fur-like moles may become malignant melanoma in the future, which will lead to death after metastasis.
Types of birthmarks
Black birthmark: melanocyte nevus, congenital hirsute melanin mother spot, animal skin-like nevus, spotted nevus;
Blue birthmark: Mongolian spot, Ota mother spot, Ito mother spot, blue mother spot;
Brown birthmark: coffee milk spot, baker's mother spot;
Red birthmark: wine stain, flame nevus, strawberry hemangioma.
Purple birthmark: cutaneous venous tumor, cavernous hemangioma;
Skin birthmark: epidermal mother spot, sebum mother spot, connective tissue nevus.
Incidence rate of birthmark
The incidence of neonatal birthmarks is about 10%, which can be said to be very common. Most birthmarks only affect the appearance and do not need special treatment. However, some birthmarks may be combined with abnormalities of body organs, and even have the possibility of malignant transformation, which must be actively treated. For example, some cavernous hemangioma proliferates too fast, which will cause limb deformity, not only ugly appearance, but also dysfunction. Even if hemangioma expands too fast, it will form tissue necrosis, and excessive consumption of platelets will make coagulation function low and bleeding will not stop. Some fur-like moles may become malignant melanoma in the future, which will lead to death after metastasis.
Types of birthmarks
Mainly divided into nine kinds, there are Mongolian spots, coffee milk spots, Ota nevus, pigmented nevus, hairy nevus, sebaceous nevus, capillary hemangioma, cavernous hemangioma and wine nevus (wine spots).
1, orange-red spots (or salmon erythema). About13 of newborns will have this birthmark. It is a small red patch, usually spread flat on the skin. Most of them appear between the back neck, eyes, forehead and eyelids. As children grow up, most of them will gradually disappear.
2. Mongolian spots. This kind of birthmark is flat and smooth, and it is present at birth, and it is common in hips or waist. Most of them are light blue, but they may also be blue-gray, blue-black This birthmark looks like a bruise, which is common in yellow people and usually disappears gradually before going to school.
3. Strawberry hemangioma (capillary hemangioma). This birthmark generally appears on the face, scalp, back or chest, mostly red or purple. Strawberry hemangioma usually forms a few weeks after birth, which may not protrude from the skin, or it may be a strawberry soft mass slightly higher than the skin. Although it will not disappear, it has no effect on health.
4. Cavernous hemangioma. It's like a light blue sponge full of blood. It usually appears under the skin of the head or neck. If it grows deeper, the skin covered on it looks normal and will disappear before puberty.
5, dark erythema (wine spot). At birth, this erythema is pink, but with the increase of age, its color will become darker and darker, becoming lavender. Most of them appear in the face and neck, and the area is relatively large. Dark erythema is caused by telangiectasia, and most of them will get bigger and bigger. If they grow on the eyelids, they will increase the risk of glaucoma. Need treatment.
6, coffee milk spots. Its color is like coffee with milk. It is brown. This kind of birthmark is mostly oval, mostly appearing on the trunk, buttocks and legs. It will gradually become bigger and darker with age, and generally will not bring health problems. If there are several birthmarks larger than coins at the same time, it is likely to be related to neurofibroma, so consult a doctor immediately.
7. Congenital nevus. About 1% of newborns will have this kind of nevus. Its shape is irregular, the small diameter is about 2 cm, and the big one can invade the whole back, neck or limbs. This mole may develop into skin cancer. If it's big, it needs treatment.
Complications of birthmark
1. Wine-red nevus near eyes and cheeks: sometimes related to vision problems, such as glaucoma or epileptic seizures and developmental retardation (known as Svay-Weiss syndrome, trigeminal angiomatosis).
2, larger hemangioma: depending on the growth site, it may hinder eating, vision and breathing. Sometimes hemangioma grows in the body, which may threaten the health of some organs.
3. The birthmark located in the lower part of the spine may extend under the skin, affecting nerve and blood flow.
4. More than six coffee and milk stains may be the signal of neurofibroma, which is a genetic disease. Children with this disease usually have plaques at birth or within two years of age, and the number of plaques may increase in childhood or even older. About 50% patients with neurofibroma may have learning disabilities.
5, some birthmarks, especially the big mole at birth, have a great risk of cancer in the future.
Treatment of birthmark
Generally speaking, red and black are easy to remove, and cyan birthmarks are not easy to remove. The method of removing birthmarks is also related to the size, shape and position of birthmarks. Generally, small birthmarks do not need skin grafting, but if the area is large, skin flap method can be used in addition to skin grafting now, but the operation time is longer. The birthmark in delicate skin is not easy to remove, the scar is not easy to heal, and it is difficult to find the same delicate skin in other parts of the body after skin grafting. Laser treatment of birthmarks is also very effective. For superficial skin lesions such as freckles and telangiectasia, laser can be used to remove them quickly, and the effect is obvious. For some black birthmarks, general laser treatment for 4-6 times can make the patient's skin return to normal. Laser therapy is also very effective in the treatment of skin vascular diseases such as port wine nevus. However, it should be reminded that no matter what technology is used, scars can not be completely avoided, so postoperative care must be done after treatment. Attention should be paid to protect the wound surface and avoid sun exposure, otherwise it will affect the surgical effect.
Matters needing attention in laser birthmark removal
1. Keep the birthmark removed by laser clean to avoid infection and friction.
2. In addition to the stupid skin on the birthmark, the laser needs to fall off by itself. Don't remove it by hand, or there will be pigmentation.
3. After the scab skin falls off, there may be temporary pigmentation locally, so sunscreen and freckle removing products can be used reasonably.
4. After the birthmark is removed by laser, there will be a slight burning sensation at the treatment site, and the skin will be slightly red and swollen, which is a normal reaction. If necessary, local cold compress can be done to alleviate or eliminate the phenomenon of red heat.
Nursing care of wound after laser removal of birthmark
1. Honey is directly rubbed on skin or wound, which has the functions of diminishing inflammation, relieving pain, stopping bleeding, reducing swelling and promoting wound healing.
2. Increasing the intake of vitamin C can prevent arteriosclerosis in the elderly, promote the absorption of iron, enhance the body's disease resistance and promote wound healing to a certain extent. In our daily life, there are many foods containing vitamin C. For example, fresh vegetables and fruits: such as peppers, spinach, tomatoes, cauliflower, bitter gourd and so on.
3. Aloe leaves are rich in viscous liquid, which can prevent and treat ulcers, promote wound healing, stimulate cell growth and stop bleeding. Food suitable for wound healing.
The best age to treat birthmarks.
The best age for birthmark treatment should be in children's preschool age, so that children will not be treated differently at school, will not be laughed at by others, and will not feel inferior and insecure. Of course, the treatment in early childhood is also ideal. Experts say birthmarks must be treated as soon as possible. Laser treatment of birthmarks is the most ideal method. In fact, the pigment particles of birthmark are decomposed and vaporized by laser energy, then absorbed by the body, and then discharged from the body by its own circulatory system, and the pigment also fades. Because the laser of a certain wavelength is only absorbed by the pigment of the corresponding color, only the diseased cells absorb the specific laser, and the normal skin tissue is not damaged, so there will be no scar.
How is the birthmark formed?
Birthmark is an abnormal proliferation of skin tissue during development, and abnormal shape and color appear on the skin surface. Mainly due to the serious lack of trace elements such as zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium, phenylalanine and tyrosine in human serum, the biochemical process of pigment synthesis is affected, resulting in the abnormal increase of pigment cells, which gradually spread to the epidermis through nerve transmission and form plaques; However, birthmarks with neat edges spread slowly.
The most common birthmark of babies is the stork bite marks on the back neck and eyelids, which are caused by vasodilation and will gradually disappear in the first year. About 10% of newborns will have strawberry birthmarks around their heads-a kind of birthmark with convex, red and dotted distribution, which usually disappears within two years. If the birthmark does not disappear after 2 years, it can be removed by laser. But it must be done in a regular hospital and on the advice of a doctor. About 2‰ of newborns will have wine marks, which are flat red birthmarks and generally will not fade.