[Skin changes in newborn infants in the first 5 days of life].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To prospectively survey skin lesions in a large group of newborns, as no such study has as yet been performed in Germany.

PATIENTS/METHODS: In a prospective study, we examined one thousand newborn babies twelve to 120 hours old.

RESULTS

In 59.7%, one or more skin lesions could be detected, some of which were only transient. Noticeable differences from other studies included a higher incidence of congenital melanocytic nevi (6%) and port wine stains (2.8%). Instead of the usual male:female ratio of 1:2 we found a 1:1 ratio for port wine stains. Toxic erythema of the newborn and milia were less frequent than in other studies.

CONCLUSIONS

With a frequency of 37.2%, vascular lesions such as nevus flammeus and hemangioma are the most common skin lesions in newborns. Our study found a higher incidence of congenital melanocytic nevi than reported in literature. An associated of skin lesions and maternal smoking during pregnancy was not detected.