Is sacral dimple normal in newborn?
Sacral dimples are relatively common in healthy, newborn babies and do not normally signal a concern. They are seen in around 2-4 percent of births, although the cause of them is unknown. In most cases, sacral dimples are simply signs of minor abnormalities as the baby grows inside the womb.
How rare is a sacral dimple?
How common are sacral dimples? Roughly 3 to 8 percent of babies are born with a sacral dimple.
What does a sacral dimple indicate?
A sacral dimple is a small indentation (dent) in the lower back, near the crease of the buttocks. It is a congenital condition, meaning it is there when the baby is born. Most sacral dimples do not cause any health issues. In some cases, a sacral dimple can be a sign of an underlying spinal problem.
Can sacral dimples be removed?
Most sacral dimples are harmless and don’t require any treatment. Sacral dimples that are accompanied by a nearby tuft of hair, skin tag or certain types of skin discoloration are sometimes associated with a serious underlying abnormality of the spine or spinal cord.
How soon can you tell if your baby has spina bifida?
Spina bifida is often detected during the mid-pregnancy anomaly scan, which is offered to all pregnant women between 18 and 21 weeks of pregnancy. If tests confirm that your baby has spina bifida, the implications will be discussed with you.
When to worry about sacral dimple?
In the newborn nursery, your baby’s pediatrician will look at the dimple to decide if it needs to be evaluated further. If the base of the dimple can be visualized, there is no need to worry. Most sacral dimples are harmless and will not bother your baby.
When to ultrasound sacral dimple?
Ultrasound is only indicated if the sacral dimple is more than 5mm in depth and more than 25 mm from the anus. Sometimes, babies are subjected to ultrasound assessment in search for abnormalities of inner organs, and if there is a suspicion of spinal dysraphism, but they are usually completely normal.
Do Sacral dimples go away?
Complications of Sacral Dimple. Usually, the sacral dimples are absolutely harmless and do not cause any problem in the infants, or even after they grow up. In many cases, they go away on their own. However, in rare cases, they are associated with certain spinal cord abnormality.