Related Experiment Videos
The childhood scars of newborn intensive care
Insights
Most newborn intensive care scars fade over time, with needle marks and IV site scars showing significant reduction. Surgical scars, however, often persist and may require corrective procedures.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Dermatology
- Pediatric surgery
Background:
- Newborn intensive care often involves procedures that can cause skin damage and scarring.
- Long-term effects of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) interventions on skin integrity are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term presence and cosmetic outcome of scars in survivors of neonatal intensive care.
- To compare scar status in children aged 8–9 years with findings at 2 years of age.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 90 children, aged 8–9 years, who previously underwent neonatal intensive care, were examined.
- Scars were assessed for number, site, and severity, and compared to data collected when the children were 2 years old.
Main Results:
- Overall scar reduction was observed over time, irrespective of gestational age.
- Needlemark scars decreased by 41% and intravenous accident scars by 70% from age 2 to 8–9 years.
- Surgical scars showed minimal improvement and were often considered cosmetically worse, with two cases needing corrective surgery. Nine children reported embarrassment due to scarring.
Conclusions:
- While many NICU-related scars improve with age, surgical scars represent a significant long-term cosmetic concern.
- Interventions aimed at minimizing surgical scarring in neonates may be beneficial for long-term outcomes.
Abstract:
Many of the techniques used in newborn intensive care damage the skin and may lead to scarring. We have investigated a cohort of consecutive survivors of newborn intensive care for the presence of scars. Ninety of the original 100 children between the ages of 8 and 9 years were examined in detail by a single observer--the number, site and severity of the scars were noted and compared with the findings when the children were 2 years old. There was an overall reduction in the number of scars with time, regardless of gestational age. Scars from needlemarks were reduced by 41% and those from intravenous accidents by 70%, compared with those seen at 2 years. Scars from chest drains were still visible, in two cases requiring corrective surgery. Nine children and their families found that the scars caused them embarrassment. The only scars which did not usually improve with time and which were often judged to be worse cosmetically were those caused by surgery.