2nd bum hole

[marissab]

A weird Q. When my 2yo was bprn the midwife spotted a second hole above her bum hole. She shone a torch in to check it wasn't deep. It wasn't. And said nothing else about it. My question is will it be there forever? I just wonder how she'll feel abput it as an adult. But my mum says they shrink. Anyone know?

I think it's called a sacral dimple and I think most are fine but they can be an indication of other medical issues. However, if the midwife/doctor has looked at it already I would say that they have ruled out anything to worry about.

I think some do disappear or get smaller over time but others are there for life so your dc may just have to be careful about cleaning it to prevent infection.

Ds1 has a sacral dimple and a wonky crack. The doc checked it out thoroughly but it's fine and getting shallower over time. Its to do with spina bifida.

When the spinal cord is forming early in pregnancy the cord normally gets covered by tissue and skin sealing the cord in place but in babies with sb the skin doesn't quite fuse together properly leaving a hole. Sometimes this looks like a small dimple so they check them out to make sure the bottom of the dimple is all joined up.

My dd has this and we have always called it her 2nd bum hole, but poster above is right, it's called a sacral dimple. We had a paediatrician check it out but as long as there is a bottom to the hole it shouldn't be anything to worry about.

Ah so now i know what it's called. I had literally never heard of it before so was very shocked when the midwife pointed it out on my perfect newborn baby.

So could it be because i didn't take folic acid? Isn't that supposed to be for SB?

ds2 has one too, and so do I.

They have to check it doesnt go all the way through, but if it doesnt, its fine

and i did take folic acid

My dd has one, she's 4 now, I'd forgotten about it now I don't see her quite so close up

I have one, as does small child here - never caused any stress (other than to DH the first time he noticed it! ). If anything, both my deportment and small child's tend to be positively commented on.

While the cause for them isn't known I couldn't find anything that indicated lack of folic acid could be reason (even though that is a causative for spina bifida).

Sacral dimples are checked thoroughly to make sure they aren't a bottomless pit, but if they are just a dimple, then it isn't too do with spina bifida and isn't anything to do with taking folic acid.

My dd one one (and a long bum crack!) and I expect it to recede as she grows.
(Am dr btw.)