Abstract:
Background. Cutaneous alterations are common in neonates. The majority of lesions are physiological, transient, or self-limited and require no therapy. Although much has been reported on the various disorders peculiar to the skin of infant, very little is known about variations and activity of the skin in neonates. Objective. To study the various pattern of skin lesions in newborn and to estimate the prevalence of physiological and pathological skin lesions in newborn. Methods. A total of 1000 newborns were examined in a hospital-based, cross-sectional prospective study in the period of November 2007 to May 2009. Results. The physiological skin changes observed in order of frequency were sebaceous gland hyperplasia (89.4%), Epstein pearls (89.1%), Mongolian spot (84.7%), knuckle pigmentation (57.9%), linea nigra (44.5%), hypertrichosis (35.3%), miniature puberty (13.3%), acrocyanosis(30.9%),physiologicalscaling(10.8%),andvernixcaseosa(7.7%).Ofthetransientnoninfectiveconditions,erythema toxicumneonatorumwasseenin23.2%newbornsandmiliariacrystallinain3%newborns.Thebirthmarksindescendingorderof frequencyweresalmonpatch(20.7%),congenitalmelanocyticnevi(1.9%),andcaf´e-au-laitmacule(1.3%).Cutaneoussignsofspinal dysraphism were sacral dimple (12.8%), meningomyelocele (0.5%), acrochordons (0.1%), and dermoid cyst (0.1%). Conclusion. The physiological and transient skin lesions are common in newborns particularly sebaceous gland hyperplasia, Epstein pearls, Mongolianspots,anderythematoxicumneonatorum.Itisimportanttodifferentiatethemfromothermoreseriousskinconditions toavoidunnecessarytherapeuticinterventions
