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Maternal and child constitutional factors and the frequency of melanocytic naevi in children
Author(s) -
; Graham,
; Fuller,
; Murphy,
Michael E. Jones,
Forman,
Anthony Swerdlow
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.667
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3016
pISSN - 0269-5022
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3016.1999.00189.x
Subject(s) - medicine , melanocytic nevus , offspring , nevus , congenital melanocytic nevus , pediatrics , dermatology , pregnancy , melanoma , genetics , cancer research , biology
This study examined the association between numbers of benign melanocytic naevi in 7‐year‐old children in Oxfordshire born in 1988–9 with their mother’s arm naevus count, and maternal and child pigmentation factors. We believe this is the first time that the relationship between child and maternal naevus counts has been reported. A high naevus count in the child was associated with male sex ( P = 0.009), freckling ( P = 0.001) and propensity of the child to burn in the sun ( P = 0.05). A low naevus count was observed in red‐haired children ( P = 0.02). The strongest association of child’s naevus count was with a high maternal arm naevus count, independent of the child’s pigmentation factors (trend P < 0.0001). Maternal pigmentation factors were not associated with child’s naevus count independent of the child’s own pigmentation factors. Maternal arm naevus counts may be a better predictor of child naevus count than the child’s own pigmentation factors.