Preauricular skin tags in newborn

[anchovies]

Ds2 has two of these on his right ear. Not sure whether to be concerned or not. The health professionals we have seen before have varied from explaining a link between these and renal problems or dismissing them as nothing. Also what happens with getting them removed?

They may be nothing or they may be associated with other things, e.g. renal or hearing problems. I'd get this checked. Removal is by a simple, minor op.

dd3 has these/ she had a renal scan done at around 6months old, she is totally fine. i have since read a report that states that the tags are NOT an indiactaor of renal problems or anything else. i'll see if i can dig it up later on. i will get dd3 removed before school. she is 1year old now, so am going to go to the GP about it at some point soon. i guess they refer to plastic surgeon for minor op.

My DS (8mths) has 1 on each ear. He has had 2 sepcial hearing tests to confirm that there is nothing wrong with his hearing. No one has mentionned renal problems! (AM now worried!!). He has seen plastic surgeon who will remove the tags at 1yr as he'll need general anesthetic. They cut them off & then put a stitch in to stop them growing back. In the old days they used to just cut them on with thread at birth. I think they are more common than people realise -its just you don't see them often because they've been cut off. I seem to rememeber a midwife saying that there were about 3 a year - but that may well be completely wrong.

My health visitor told me the other day that another baby she sees tag fell off by itself in the night.

yes, dd3 also had hearing tests done with the specialist equipment. her hearing is 95%perfect. (she disnt respond to the lower sounds at the last check).

Would be very interested to read that report misdee. DS saw a plastic surgeon a while ago who said he would try to avoid his actual 1st birthday (phew!) for the op, but that it was a simple op & he'd just be in for 1 day.

\link{http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0816/is_5_20/ai_97909131\tbh i dont know how crediable it is}. dd3 did have a scan, so i know she is ok. its none invasive, so ask for it to be done. the paed picked it up shortly after her birth and we were referred whilst still in hospital. it was meant to be done at 12 weeks, but you know how things can be on the NHS.

Chocolateshoes - I think the hearing problems are associated with renal ones (in the syndrome with preauricular tags) so perhaps no hearing problems ruled out anything else too. In the great majority of cases the tags are on their own, not associated with anything else. And the article Misdee linked to shows there may be no value in checking "just in case".

Our ds had a pre-auricular skin tag also. We wondered about the associated problems, so we asked dbil, who's a paediatrician. He reckons the link with renal problems is now believed to be more to do with skin PITS than skin TAGS and that we shouldn't worry. Where we live, it is standard to remove the tag ASAP so ds had it whipped off under LA before he was even 2 weeks old and barely turned a hair the poppet. He now has a barely visible scar (much smaller than his Harry Potter forceps scar...!). Hope any of that helps.

(I'm sorry, I sound like a member of the royal family. I keep saying 'we' and 'our' because dh is here (watching the rugby) and keeps chipping in comments... )

Am feeling reassured by your comments & the article. I've said it before - this motherhood thing has turned me into a nervous wreck"!