Benign pigmented nevi in children from Kidderminster, England: prevalence and associated factors

The prevalence of benign pigmented nevi in a group of 187 children, aged 8 or 9 years, was determined for each of 31 anatomic sites. Information on possible associated factors was obtained from the children's parents with a standard interview questionnaire. Pale skin color was found to be associated with a higher prevalence of nevi. A comparison of these data with recent data from Australia supports the hypotheses that (1) the number of nevi is a risk factor for melanoma and (2) groups at high risk of melanoma may be formed in childhood.