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Home › Articles › General Health › Babies and Cosmetic Surgery

Babies and Cosmetic Surgery

When Should Newborn Imperfections Be Fixed?

By Katherine Bontrager

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When Donna Scherner's son was born some 14 years ago, he had a 1/2-inch mole in the center of his back. Given her son's very light skin and red hair, Scherner knew that the mole could pose problems with time.

"I wanted the doctor to remove it while we were in the hospital for the three days following his birth," says the Illinois mom. "The doctor said the mole was not an immediate cancer threat but that we should just keep an eye on it and not allow him to get sunburn – EVER!"

As the years passed Scherner did keep an eye on the mole, and every year during her son's physical the pediatrician measured it and documented its growth and color. And each year, the mole grew and Scherner tried convincing the doctor to approve its removal.

"But each year I was denied and told to just watch it," Scherner says. "As my son grew older, it became harder to monitor it, with our busy lives, adolescent privacy issues, etc. And he did get mild sunburns a few times, as well. Just last year, the mole, not only grew (again), but changed shape and color. I finally got the doctor to agree with me and order the mole to be removed, because it was now a cancer threat and it was in a difficult location for my son to continually monitor throughout his life. Unfortunately due to the years of growing, his scar is now nearly 3 inches long. I really wish the doctors would have just removed it at birth."

Scherner discovered what countless other parents discover – that not all newborns are born perfectly perfect. There are some serious conditions, such as cleft palate, lip and nose, which require surgery for the health of the child. But still others sport a variety of cosmetic issues, including birthmarks, herniated bellybuttons and more. And, sadly, some of these aesthetic conditions won't go away with time. So when should a parent opt for surgery? When do doctors believe such a procedure will be beneficial? And in what conditions should parents leave well enough alone?


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