Dr. Thangadurai

Birthmarks in Infants

A baby's skin coloring can vary greatly, depending on the baby's age, race or ethnic group, temperature, and whether or not the baby is crying. Skin color in babies often changes with both the environment and health. Some of these differences are just temporary. Others, such as certain birthmarks, may be permanent.

What are birthmarks?

Birthmarks are areas of discolored and/or raised skin that are present at birth or within a few weeks of birth. Birthmarks are made up of abnormal pigment cells or blood vessels.

Although the cause of birthmarks is not known, most of them are harmless and do not require treatment. Babies with birthmarks should be examined by your child's health care provider, especially if they are:

• Located in the middle of the back, along the spine (may be related to spinal cord problems)
• Large birthmarks on the face, head or neck
• Interfering with movement of activity, for example a birthmark on the eyelid that may interfere with vision

Some common birthmarks include:

• Stork bites
• Angel kisses
• Salmon patches

These are small pink or red patches often found on a baby's eyelids, between the eyes, upper lip, and back of the neck. The "stork bite" name comes from the marks on the back of the neck where, as the myth goes, a stork may have picked up the baby. They are caused by a concentration of immature blood vessels and may be the most visible when the baby is crying. Most of these fade and disappear completely.

Congenital dermal melanocytosis (also known as Mongolian spots)

Congenital dermal melanocytosis refers to areas of blue or purple-colored, typically on the baby's lower back and buttocks. These can occur in darker-skinned babies of all races. The spots are caused by a concentration of pigmented cells. They usually disappear in the first 4 years of life.

Strawberry hemangioma

This is a bright or dark red, raised or swollen, bumpy area that looks like a strawberry. Hemangiomas are formed by a concentration of tiny, immature blood vessels. Most of these occur on the head. They may not appear at birth, but often develop in the first 2 months. Strawberry hemangiomas are more common in premature babies and in girls. These birthmarks often grow in size for several months, and then gradually begin to fade. They may bleed or get infected in rare cases. Nearly all strawberry hemangiomas completely disappear by 9 years of age.

Port-wine stain

A port-wine stain is a flat, pink, red, or purple colored birthmark. These are caused by a concentration of dilated tiny blood vessels called capillaries. They usually occur on the head or neck. They may be small, or they may cover large areas of the body. Port-wine stains do not change color when gently pressed and do not disappear over time. They may become darker and thicker when the child is older or as an adult. Port-wine stains on the face may be associated with more serious problems. Skin-colored cosmetics may be used to cover small port-wine stains. The most effective way of treating port-wine stains is with a special type of laser. This is done when the baby is older by a plastic surgery specialist.

Congenital moles

These common moles (less than 3 inches in diameter) occur in about 1 out of every 100 newborns. They increase in size as the child grows, but usually don't cause any problems. Your child's health care provider will watch them closely as rarely they can develop into a cancerous mole.

Behavior of a child should always be closely monitored during his/her early development. Sometimes signs of several personality disorder. tend to show up early in life. Proper monitoring of the child's behavior helps to identify the signs and properly diagnose the condition if the child is suffering from any potential personality disorder. 

Here are a few facts you should keep in mind:

1. You might often find it difficult to differentiate between the normal and abnormal behavior of your child. You might consult the pediatrician in this case to compare the child's general behavioral patterns with that of other children in the same age group.
2. It is very important to understand your child's development process. It helps you to interpret his/her behavior and to identify signs of personality disorder.
3. There are a few common behavior patterns, which tend to act as a guide to understanding the behavior of your child. Some of these patterns should be encouraged as they lead to proper behavioral development of your child while patterns of negative behavior should be discouraged. 
4. You should also consult a doctor if your child shows negative behavior persistently even after disciplining measures.
5. Being polite, doing chores on a regular basis, following instructions should be encouraged and rewarded as it helps in the proper personality development of your child.
6. Behavioral patterns like an inclination towards defensive, regressive and aggressive behavior should not be encouraged but can be tolerated in certain situations like illness or in times of stress.
7. Behavioral patterns like an increased inclination to violence or an excessive competitive attitude towards their siblings should never be allowed. 
8. Prejudice or racism, stealing or inclination towards substance abuse, angry outbursts point towards problems in the child's mental, physical or social well-being. You are also advised to take your child to a psychological expert to find out whether he/she is suffering from any sort of behavioral disorder. 
9. Your behavior also plays a major role in development of your child and his/her behavioral patterns. It is often seen that if a child is subjected to excessive physical, mental or emotional abuse or is engaged in too many curricular and extracurricular activities, he/she is likely to develop several behavioral disorders over time. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a General Physician.

Asthma is an inflammatory disease, which affects the airways of your lungs (respiratory tract that pumps oxygen into the lungs). It is long term in nature. It is characterized by shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. It occurs few times a day or few times a week depending on the person it affects. Sometimes it worsens during the night.

What triggers Asthma?

1. Airborne particles such as dust mites, mold spores, pollen and cockroach waste.
2. Infections in the respiratory system such as common cold.
3. Cold air can also trigger asthma.
4. Physical or outdoor activities which make you pant such as running, skipping, jogging and jumping can cause shortness of breath, thus triggering asthma.
5. Pollutants and irritants in air such as smoke.
6. Some medications can also trigger asthma.
7. Stress and nervous attacks (panic attacks) also trigger asthma.

How to manage asthma better by changing your lifestyle:

1. Try to avoid keeping animals in your house such as dogs, cats and rabbits. Many times animal fur, waste, urine and saliva contains particles which can cause allergic reactions and make you cough uncontrollably. This in turn triggers asthma attacks. If you have pets try keeping them away from your bedroom.
2. Dust mites also cause allergies which trigger asthma. So wash your carpets, rugs, bed-linen and pillowcases in hot water.
3. Bugs and insects such as cockroaches are not only unhygienic, but can also trigger asthma. Cockroach droppings near your bed, kitchen and food are dangerous and you should call an exterminator to get rid of these bugs.
4. Sometimes, heavy fragrance also aggravates your respiratory tract and triggers shortness of breath. Avoid using heavy perfumes, deodorants and room fresheners.
5. Pollution also triggers asthma. Dust particles come out from the vehicles and mix with the air. If this air is inhaled, it might trigger uncontrollable asthma. So try to cover your mouth with a cloth when you step out of your house.

Asthma can be very severe and can bring many hurdles in your day to day activities. Changing your lifestyle and certain habits can reduce asthma to a great extent. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a pulmonologist.