title: [Prevalence of birthmarks and transient skin lesions in 1,000 Spanish newborns].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Almost all newborn children have some sort of birthmark or transient benign skin lesion. Few studies, however, have analyzed their frequency, particularly in Spain. The aims of this study were to determine their prevalence in 1000 newborn children in the health care area of Ferrol in northwest Spain and to compare the results with those of 9 other studies with similar characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We undertook a descriptive study of 1000 newborn infants seen in the first 3 days of life at the neonatal clinic in the Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Arquitecto Marcide, Ferrol, Spain. Each infant was examined for the presence of 19 different transient benign skin lesions and 11 birthmarks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Birthmarks or benign skin lesions were present in 994 neonates (99.4%). Transient skin lesions were present in 99.2% and birthmarks in 72%. The 5 most prevalent lesions were sebaceous hyperplasia (75%), salmon patch (64.2%), hypertrichosis (59%), sucking calluses (54%), and palatine cysts (53.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study show that most neonates have benign skin lesions. The findings of studies to assess their frequency are influenced not only by geographic location (affecting variables such as climate, social and health care conditions, and ethnic group) but also by the timing of examination, the inclusion criteria applied, and the terminology used.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Arquitecto Marcide, Área Sanitaria de Ferrol, SERGAS, La Coruña, España. benims@hotmail.com
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Monteagudo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Labandeira
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: León-Muiños
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carballeira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corrales
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cabanillas
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Suárez-Amor
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toribio
mesh_terms: D002145:Callosities / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology; D003560:Cysts / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D018324:Hemangioma, Capillary / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D006983:Hypertrichosis / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology; D017490:Ichthyosis, Lamellar / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D049328:Mongolian Spot / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology; D009386:Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary; D019339:Port-Wine Stain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000473:pathology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology