When to have kids checked by a dermatologist

My mother was the same way about me, she had melanoma around the age of 26.  I have no idea what stage.  It was on the inside of her thigh and discovered immediately after she gave birth to my brother, her first child.  Anyway, when I came along she kept pestering the pediatrician to remove my moles since I was blonde and fair skinned.  When she finally talked him into removing one it grew into a  large floppy scare .  That finally stopped her.   Back then, 1950's sun safety really wasn't talked about even though my mother used sun tan lotion. 

I didn't develop melanoma until I was 57 and truthfully it was probably due to very unsafe sun practices.  My Onc says there is probably no inherited component to my Mel except my coloring. Let the boys be boys and just watch any moles for change.  Try to teach them good habits but don't make them miserable in the process. 

Mary

Stage 3

My mother was the same way about me, she had melanoma around the age of 26.  I have no idea what stage.  It was on the inside of her thigh and discovered immediately after she gave birth to my brother, her first child.  Anyway, when I came along she kept pestering the pediatrician to remove my moles since I was blonde and fair skinned.  When she finally talked him into removing one it grew into a  large floppy scare .  That finally stopped her.   Back then, 1950's sun safety really wasn't talked about even though my mother used sun tan lotion. 

I didn't develop melanoma until I was 57 and truthfully it was probably due to very unsafe sun practices.  My Onc says there is probably no inherited component to my Mel except my coloring. Let the boys be boys and just watch any moles for change.  Try to teach them good habits but don't make them miserable in the process. 

Mary

Stage 3

My mother was the same way about me, she had melanoma around the age of 26.  I have no idea what stage.  It was on the inside of her thigh and discovered immediately after she gave birth to my brother, her first child.  Anyway, when I came along she kept pestering the pediatrician to remove my moles since I was blonde and fair skinned.  When she finally talked him into removing one it grew into a  large floppy scare .  That finally stopped her.   Back then, 1950's sun safety really wasn't talked about even though my mother used sun tan lotion. 

I didn't develop melanoma until I was 57 and truthfully it was probably due to very unsafe sun practices.  My Onc says there is probably no inherited component to my Mel except my coloring. Let the boys be boys and just watch any moles for change.  Try to teach them good habits but don't make them miserable in the process. 

Mary

Stage 3

I was diagnosed 18 months ago with a nodular melanoma on my back.  After reading of so many souls out there battling much more advanced disease, I feel fortunate I am only at Stage Ib.  I also have 3 boys, however they are 14 years and up.  My dermatologist suggested my children begin annual checkups as soon as possible.  I think it's a very personal decision, but I know it has given me a sense of security having the dermatologist look them over.

I hope your husband has many many years with you and those 3 boys – God Bless.

 

Shelley

 

I was diagnosed 18 months ago with a nodular melanoma on my back.  After reading of so many souls out there battling much more advanced disease, I feel fortunate I am only at Stage Ib.  I also have 3 boys, however they are 14 years and up.  My dermatologist suggested my children begin annual checkups as soon as possible.  I think it's a very personal decision, but I know it has given me a sense of security having the dermatologist look them over.

I hope your husband has many many years with you and those 3 boys – God Bless.

 

Shelley

 

I was diagnosed 18 months ago with a nodular melanoma on my back.  After reading of so many souls out there battling much more advanced disease, I feel fortunate I am only at Stage Ib.  I also have 3 boys, however they are 14 years and up.  My dermatologist suggested my children begin annual checkups as soon as possible.  I think it's a very personal decision, but I know it has given me a sense of security having the dermatologist look them over.

I hope your husband has many many years with you and those 3 boys – God Bless.

 

Shelley

 

I understand your worry completely, my son’s pediatrician is very very cautious, and even before my husband’s diagnosis he suggested I go to a dermatologist with my young son to have his moles checked and a birth mark measured yearly. He wasn’t even concerned about any of these marks, but just suggested these things should be monitored yearly as a good practice. Once, my husband got diagnosed, I immediately called the dermatologist and had their office see my son. My husband even has mucosal melanoma, so it’s highly unlikely my son’s moles are even relevant to my husband’s health history. However, they measured his birth mark on his butt, and said it would just need to be looked at and measured yearly, not likely to turn into anything at all! I just couldn’t see myself worrying about that yearly measurement or trying to figure out if I thought it was growing too much. The doctor understood, considering the stress of my husband’s melanoma at the time, so referred me to a plastic surgeon, because the birth mark was fairly large. Once, we got to the plastic surgeon she totally agreed to taking off the birth mark, and also suggested she take off a mole on the side of my son’s foot, as she said foot moles can be tricky later in life! My son was 7 years old at the time, and did great and everything came back fine from pathology, they all thought it would. I don’t regret that these two spots are gone, one less worry! But, I do use tons of sunscreen, he always wears swim shirts, and he is checked yearly! Take care, Valerie (Phil’s wife)

I understand your worry completely, my son’s pediatrician is very very cautious, and even before my husband’s diagnosis he suggested I go to a dermatologist with my young son to have his moles checked and a birth mark measured yearly. He wasn’t even concerned about any of these marks, but just suggested these things should be monitored yearly as a good practice. Once, my husband got diagnosed, I immediately called the dermatologist and had their office see my son. My husband even has mucosal melanoma, so it’s highly unlikely my son’s moles are even relevant to my husband’s health history. However, they measured his birth mark on his butt, and said it would just need to be looked at and measured yearly, not likely to turn into anything at all! I just couldn’t see myself worrying about that yearly measurement or trying to figure out if I thought it was growing too much. The doctor understood, considering the stress of my husband’s melanoma at the time, so referred me to a plastic surgeon, because the birth mark was fairly large. Once, we got to the plastic surgeon she totally agreed to taking off the birth mark, and also suggested she take off a mole on the side of my son’s foot, as she said foot moles can be tricky later in life! My son was 7 years old at the time, and did great and everything came back fine from pathology, they all thought it would. I don’t regret that these two spots are gone, one less worry! But, I do use tons of sunscreen, he always wears swim shirts, and he is checked yearly! Take care, Valerie (Phil’s wife)

I understand your worry completely, my son’s pediatrician is very very cautious, and even before my husband’s diagnosis he suggested I go to a dermatologist with my young son to have his moles checked and a birth mark measured yearly. He wasn’t even concerned about any of these marks, but just suggested these things should be monitored yearly as a good practice. Once, my husband got diagnosed, I immediately called the dermatologist and had their office see my son. My husband even has mucosal melanoma, so it’s highly unlikely my son’s moles are even relevant to my husband’s health history. However, they measured his birth mark on his butt, and said it would just need to be looked at and measured yearly, not likely to turn into anything at all! I just couldn’t see myself worrying about that yearly measurement or trying to figure out if I thought it was growing too much. The doctor understood, considering the stress of my husband’s melanoma at the time, so referred me to a plastic surgeon, because the birth mark was fairly large. Once, we got to the plastic surgeon she totally agreed to taking off the birth mark, and also suggested she take off a mole on the side of my son’s foot, as she said foot moles can be tricky later in life! My son was 7 years old at the time, and did great and everything came back fine from pathology, they all thought it would. I don’t regret that these two spots are gone, one less worry! But, I do use tons of sunscreen, he always wears swim shirts, and he is checked yearly! Take care, Valerie (Phil’s wife)

It's not a strange question at all. I was told by the pediatrician to go ahead and take them once a year – they are 6 and 8 to my derm. My family history is husband with Stage IV nodular pink melanoma and my maternal grandfather died of melanoma (I know it was not nodular). Anyway, I took them and the derm said he would photograph the moles and check them every two years to see if anything changes. He said he's more concerned about their teenage years. They don't have a lot of moles but what they do have I'm watching.

 

Rebecca

 

It's not a strange question at all. I was told by the pediatrician to go ahead and take them once a year – they are 6 and 8 to my derm. My family history is husband with Stage IV nodular pink melanoma and my maternal grandfather died of melanoma (I know it was not nodular). Anyway, I took them and the derm said he would photograph the moles and check them every two years to see if anything changes. He said he's more concerned about their teenage years. They don't have a lot of moles but what they do have I'm watching.

 

Rebecca

 

It's not a strange question at all. I was told by the pediatrician to go ahead and take them once a year – they are 6 and 8 to my derm. My family history is husband with Stage IV nodular pink melanoma and my maternal grandfather died of melanoma (I know it was not nodular). Anyway, I took them and the derm said he would photograph the moles and check them every two years to see if anything changes. He said he's more concerned about their teenage years. They don't have a lot of moles but what they do have I'm watching.

 

Rebecca

 

I'm not surprised that your pediatrician didn't find it important; melanoma can be a highly misunderstood disease.

It wasn't my kids' pediatrician that recommended it: it was my husband's melanoma specialist. He told us that the kids were now considered high risk due to the family history (we later discovered that 2 of Don's aunts on his father's side have also had melanoma, although not as serious as his). That being said, the doctor was not being alarmist and telling us we needed to take them ASAP, just that we should start taking them yearly because of their history.

Luckily for my children, they both get most of their coloring from me (I have dark hair, eyes, and olive tone skin), which lessens their risk a little (hubby was blonde, blue eyed and fair skinned with many atypical nevi on his back) and while both have moles, they don't have the 20+ that put my husband at such high risk.

I've taken my kids: the dermatologist is not currently concerned about any of the moles/birthmarks they have, but will be checking them yearly.

I think it's a good lesson to teach kids while they're young: that they need to keep an eye on things without freaking out. 

Michelle, wife of Don

I'm not surprised that your pediatrician didn't find it important; melanoma can be a highly misunderstood disease.

It wasn't my kids' pediatrician that recommended it: it was my husband's melanoma specialist. He told us that the kids were now considered high risk due to the family history (we later discovered that 2 of Don's aunts on his father's side have also had melanoma, although not as serious as his). That being said, the doctor was not being alarmist and telling us we needed to take them ASAP, just that we should start taking them yearly because of their history.

Luckily for my children, they both get most of their coloring from me (I have dark hair, eyes, and olive tone skin), which lessens their risk a little (hubby was blonde, blue eyed and fair skinned with many atypical nevi on his back) and while both have moles, they don't have the 20+ that put my husband at such high risk.

I've taken my kids: the dermatologist is not currently concerned about any of the moles/birthmarks they have, but will be checking them yearly.

I think it's a good lesson to teach kids while they're young: that they need to keep an eye on things without freaking out. 

Michelle, wife of Don

I'm not surprised that your pediatrician didn't find it important; melanoma can be a highly misunderstood disease.

It wasn't my kids' pediatrician that recommended it: it was my husband's melanoma specialist. He told us that the kids were now considered high risk due to the family history (we later discovered that 2 of Don's aunts on his father's side have also had melanoma, although not as serious as his). That being said, the doctor was not being alarmist and telling us we needed to take them ASAP, just that we should start taking them yearly because of their history.

Luckily for my children, they both get most of their coloring from me (I have dark hair, eyes, and olive tone skin), which lessens their risk a little (hubby was blonde, blue eyed and fair skinned with many atypical nevi on his back) and while both have moles, they don't have the 20+ that put my husband at such high risk.

I've taken my kids: the dermatologist is not currently concerned about any of the moles/birthmarks they have, but will be checking them yearly.

I think it's a good lesson to teach kids while they're young: that they need to keep an eye on things without freaking out. 

Michelle, wife of Don