Q&A:
Could I have passed melanoma to my child?

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Answered by Anthony Mancini M.D.

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Dr. Mancini received his undergraduate and medical educations at the University of Arizona, and trained in pediatrics, pediatric dermatology, and dermatology at Stanford University. He is currently Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Dermatology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and Head of the Division of Dermatology at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Mancini has served as a member of the AAP Executive Committee, Section of Dermatology since 2001. He is a member of the AAP Super CME Planning Group and the AAP Pedia Link Pediatric Dermatology Project Team, and is Secretary-Treasurer of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. His teaching accomplishments include the Faculty Excellence in Education Award from the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern, which he has received for the last eight years. Dr. Mancini is a peer reviewer and/or sits on the editorial board for several academic journals, and has published over 75 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and book chapters. He is co-author of Hurwitz Clinical Pediatric Dermatology, 3rd edition, and is an associate editor for the comprehensive dermatology textbook Dermatology. His special interests include infectious skin diseases and exanthems of childhood, vascular malformations and hemangiomas, and neonatal skin maturation and skin disorders.

Dr. Mancini is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Dermatology. He and his wife, Nicola, a neonatal intensive care nurse, have three children (Mallory, Christopher, and Mackenzie) and reside in Evanston, Illinois.

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Question

While I was pregnant it was discovered that I had melanoma. It was removed while I was 2 months pregnant. Can I pass this to my child? She has a couple of spots that make me nervous.

Answer

Melanoma occurring during pregnancy is well recognized, and may be in part related to the effects of pregnancy-related hormones. Fortunately, transmission of melanoma across the placenta from mother to baby has been reported only rarely, and is extremely unlikely. On the other hand, there are numerous types of benign birthmarks that occur in infants, including cafe au lait marks, regular moles, and mongolian spots. A visual inspection of your daughter by her pediatrician should be able to reassure you regarding the nature of her skin spots.