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Background: A total of 620 healthy term neonates, randomly selected among babies born at the San Paolo Hospital in Milan (Italy), were examined to study the relationship between birthmarks and transient cutaneous lesions in newborns of different ethnic groups. Methods: Information on sociodemographic factors and on physiopathological variables of the pregnancy was collected. Multiple logistic analyses were performed to assess associations between diagnosed skin lesions and various factors. Odds ratios (OR) as a measure of association and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Results: A positive association was found between reduced hypoderm and pregnancy illness (OR = 2.78), hypertrophy genitalia and use of drugs (OR = 1.86) and illnesses in pregnancy (OR = 1.61). Hyperpigmentation in the genital area and Mongolian spot showed significant positive association with geographical area of origin, being systematically more frequent in non-European neonates, while for melanocytic congenital nevi a positive association was observed only for Asiatic newborns (OR = 4.67); salmon patch on the nape showed a significant OR of 1.81 among mothers aged ≧35. Conclusions: Significant associations between some sociodemographic factors and cutaneous lesions of the newborn and anamnestic data related to the pregnancy were found. Dermatologic conditions are common in the newborns and may justify dermatologic examination.

ABSTRACT:To investigate the associations between whole blood fatty acid (FA) profile and restricted intrauterine growth, any small for gestational age (SGA) infant born in our maternity ward through 1 y was matched with two appropriate for gestational age (AGA), of the same GA Ϯ 0.5 wk, infants, further subdivided into term and preterm. Whole blood was collected at d 4 on a strip and FA % composition assessed by means of gas chromatography. The whole sample consisted of 28 SGA versus 56 AGA born at term and 20 SGA versus 40 AGA born preterm at around 35 wks. Parent FA of the n-6 and n-3 FA families were higher in preterm groups, whereas docosahexaenoic acid was higher in term AGA (median % values, 3.9 versus 3.7 in term SGA, 2.8 in preterm AGA, and 2.5 in preterm SGA, p Ͻ 0.001). Term AGA had markedly higher values for the docosahexaenoic acid/alpha-linolenic acid ratio (median value: 91, versus 18 in term SGA, 12 in preterm AGA, and 10 in preterm SGA, p Ͻ 0.001). Term SGA had significantly lower levels of total monounsaturated FA and higher levels of eicosapentaenoic acid. Therefore, the 4-d whole blood FA pattern is associated with both GA and birth weight. (Pediatr Res 64: 298-302, 2008)

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