My five year old DD has a 'pregnancy line' (Linear Nigra?) on her tummy. Is this normal?

[ilovehugs]

It's faint but noticeable - Her brother has an even fainter and thinner one his tummy - but his is barely noticeable. I don't want to make her feel self conscious about it by taking her to the doctors so I was wondering if anyone else's dd's have this or not. Bit worried.

Anyone?

It's just pigment isn't it? Does she have dark hair? It's probably nothing - it only happens in pregnancy because you produce more melanin, like people with freckles may notice that they get darker in pregnancy.

I have one all the time, although it gets darker when I'm pregnant and at certain times of the month (maybe when I'm ovulating? I must make a note of the dates one time) DD also has a faint one, and I've just checked the DSs and they have one too. We're quite olive skinned (DC are half Cypriot) so I put it partly down to that. I don't think it's anything to be worried about tbh!

Thank's MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic, that's really reassuring. There is a bit of oliveyness on my side, but not allot. I'm sure she has just developed it over the last week or so. I was just worried incase it was related to hormones. Her's is about half a cm wide, allot thicker than DS's.

Hi BertieBotts, she has brown hair, brown eyes and is hairy (like all the women on my side). The line isn't that dark, but is noticable. It's just appeared recently I'm sure. That's what bugs me a bit, but perhaps she is just growing and will have one.

Well if you're worried I'm sure there would be no harm in getting it checked, but I'm sure it's nothing. :)

Hmmmmmm.

It looks just like this www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=toddler+linea+nigra&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1092&bih=533&tbm=isch&tbnid=fcGL9U2jzm50-M:&imgrefurl=www.thepregnancyforum.com/general-discussion/48931-linea-nigra-toddler.html&docid=X3EbjKezObHb_M&imgurl=i54.tinypic.com/11vguo4.jpg&w=480&h=640&ei=vl1fUIGkBK6N0wWhloG4CQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=743&vpy=129&dur=1939&hovh=260&hovw=195&tx=103&ty=113&sig=103605691963533435874&page=1&tbnh=159&tbnw=136&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:80

Oooops - it looks just like this <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=toddler+linea+nigra&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1092&bih=533&tbm=isch&tbnid=fcGL9U2jzm50-M:&imgrefurl=www.thepregnancyforum.com/general-discussion/48931-linea-nigra-toddler.html&docid=X3EbjKezObHb_M&imgurl=i54.tinypic.com/11vguo4.jpg&w=480&h=640&ei=vl1fUIGkBK6N0wWhloG4CQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=743&vpy=129&dur=1939&hovh=260&hovw=195&tx=103&ty=113&sig=103605691963533435874&page=1&tbnh=159&tbnw=136&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:80" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this

That's about the same as my DCs. Not 'in your face' but definitely there. If you're worried there's no harm in talking to your GP, better to put your mind at ease that have a niggling worry about it

Thanks MDTK. Can I just ask if they have always been there on your DC's or did they develop it when they were older.

I tend to worry allot about my kids health and so I try to really think about it hard before I take them to the Drs as I dont want them to grow up with health anxiety. My DD had ops as a baby and ongoing health probs due to a bowel defect andI worry that she has been looked at too much by Drs. Hence researching and milling things over before I decide wether or not to take her.

I honestly can't remember, sorry (they're 14,12 and almost 9 - it's been a while since they were little!)

Quick look in my box of random baby photos though shows that DS1 at least had a faint line at around 6 months (bath time pictures!)

ilovehugs - if you don't want to take her to the docs unnecessarily (understandable if she has had various health problems) why not get the GP to phone you (you can usually book a phone call by ringing first thing when the surgery opens) and you can describe the line on her tummy, - they may well be able to tell you it's nothing to worry about without seeing her.

Yes

That's a fab idea - I think I'll do that. :)

DS has quite a noticeable line - he's 11 now and I'm pretty sure he developed it around 4 or 5, maybe a bit earlier. I think it's just a normal variant and nothing to worry about. He is mixed race - British / Asian and his skin is significantly darker than my other 2 DCs, so I just assumed it was part of that colour scheme!

That's reassuring Musomathsci that another child got one at about that time. DD isn't mixed race but we do have a bit of Olive skin and dark looks which follow the female line.

My 5 yo DD has one. I had one as a child as did my 2 sisters. They disappeared around puberty. It's normal, but I think maybe only certain people get them. We are all fair skinned btw.

Thanks LeFreak. Can I ask if your DD, your sisters were born with it or developed it?

Thanks also MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic for going through your photos for me. :)

I had one when I was little too, it just faded away as I got older. I thought it might come back when I was pg but didn't.

How strange Queeg500 - i would have thought if you had one when young it would come back when pg,

Well rang surgery and spoke for the first time to our new GP (old one has left). Was told it is 'not normal' and I have to bring her in. :( r worried now. She had so many problems when she was younger and I hate having to deal with worry/tests/drs. She was really frosty on the phone too. And I have to wait for almost a week to get seen. :(

To answer your question -my DD didn't have one as a baby / toddler. It has developed in the last year. I'm not worried about it at all, my sisters and I are all completely normal I can reassure you

Thanks so much for that LeFreak x I took DD to the Drs this morning. TBH I was suprised that the GP has said it wasn't normal after reading this thread. She wasn't available but her collegue saw DD and said the perhaps we had been asked to come it because if it was very pigmented all of a sudden, that can be a sign of other problems. She said it was most likely just her just triggered by some non important blip of some sort and shouldn't be a cause of concern unless we see any other strange developments in DD. Feeling tonnes better by that and then reading your post LeFreak.

I have GOT to stop being so scarred about DD. I worry so easliy about her.

Thanks again x x x