Dimple above bum - 6 week check

[pip squeek]

I dnt post hear much but this thread caught my attention. My daughter is 5 months old and has 2 dimples you can see the base but there quite deep. Think I will call my doctor to get it checked

 

[RubyLouise]

I don't understand the term 'see the base' when wouldn't someone be able to see the base? Surely there can't be like an open hole in the back. I'm confused xx

 

[pip squeek]

I guessing it just means there not too deep. If they were very deep you may struggle to see the base of the dimple. Not necessarily meaning there is a whole there. Hope that makes sense

 

[Mrs_T]

Lily has this - only noticed the other day. Noone has picked up on it before and actually reading this it sounds like it's very common and nothing to worry about.

 

[sequeena]

I don't understand the term 'see the base' when wouldn't someone be able to see the base? Surely there can't be like an open hole in the back. I'm confused xx

With Thomas's you can see the base is the skin. Just like a belly button. It's shallow but there's an end to it. If you can't see the base then yes I should imagine its a little hole in the back or if the simple is very deep I'd imagine that's worrying too.

 

[RubyLouise]

I've had a good look at it and today and I actually thinks it looks allot less 'deep' now if that's the right expression. At birth it was quite deep but the base is visible but now it's quite shallow and looks more 'filled' out x

 

[Mrsmitch80]

I don't understand the term 'see the base' when wouldn't someone be able to see the base? Surely there can't be like an open hole in the back. I'm confused xx

A dimple can be a sign of spina bifida or 'open spine' meaning that the spinal cord didn't close properly whilst the baby was still in the womb. If it is open at birth the baby has immediate surgery to close it howeve a dimple, even a closed on can be an indicator that the spinal cord is attached abnormally to the skin or bones in the spine (tethered cord) with growth this causes stretching of the nerves and damage. The spinal cord normally 'floats' within the spine allowing movement without damage. Tethering is something that very few doctors are aware of and dimples should always be checked with an ultrasound xx

 

[phoenix333]

My DD has a sacral dimple and it is very deep, you can't see the base of it so it does kind of just look like a hole! They were concerned at the hospital but she went for a ultrasound and she is fine. They told me it can be quite common and can sometimes run in families. My HV said both her and her daughter have one. x

 

[BlueHadeda]

I don't understand the term 'see the base' when wouldn't someone be able to see the base? Surely there can't be like an open hole in the back. I'm confused xx

Yes, there CAN be an open hole in the back. Large openings is called Spina Bifida, like a previous poster explained.

Dimples can be of various sizes and depths. You get those that's literally a mm in diametre, and those that's like 10cm in diametre! Some are like a tenth of a mm deep, others are a few mm's deep, and some are open all the way to the bones inside. Some is like a little pinprick that looks like someone stabbed the person with a needle. As you can imagine, those that's completely open (without a base of skin covering it) is a big meningitis risk.

Others dimples are more like the dimples some people has in their cheeks or chins. Some dimples are innocent (the majority fortunately), others point to tethered cord. Some are very very low (between the buttocks), others are high up on the back. Some looks like a "cigarette burn", while others have an accompanying red or brown birthmark, or have some longish hair growing out of it.

I agree with the previous poster that said all dimples must be checked with a sonar. Even if the far majority of them will turn out to be nothing, you don't want your baby to be the one whose dimple pointed at a tethered cord and it was ignored. Once a tethered cord is diagnosed, it's crucial to get it detetherd (surgically) asap, because leaving it will almost always lead to permanent nerve damage. My daughter's cord was only untethered at age 7, and she will have the damaged nerves for the rest of her life. The nerves leads to her bladder, bowels and feet. No dr can repair them for her. What function is lost, is lost forever. Untethering the cord just halts the process of damaged nerves.

 

[BlueHadeda]

RubyLouise, have you had any of the scans yet for your baby's hips or spine? Were just wondering how it went.

 

[supertabby]

Isobel has a sacral dimple and had to go for a scan as it's deep and you can't see the base. The scan showed everything was fine. I also have a sacral dimple and so does my mum and we're both fine.

What they're looking for is a tethered cord in the spine indicating spina bifida. Usually though the dimples turn out to be harmless so try not to worry. The lower the simple the less likely it is to be a tethered cord apparently, so being where you describe is a good sign!

Interestingly I found out from the doctor that spina bifida is very wide ranging in severity and he'd seen several diagnoses in old people when try were scanned for something completely different. Technically they had spina bifida but never shown symptoms, it can be serious but can also be really mild. Happily though its rare.

 

[DragonTamer]

Ok I'm a little concerned now, my boy has a "dimple" in his butt crack above his rectum and dark hair above his butt. The pediatrician said the hair will go away (so far its not) but I don't think he noticed the dimple because I didn't until I was home from the hospital.

 

[RubyLouise]

Try not to worry DragonTamer. Maybe make a doctors appointment just to have it checked over if you feel concerned.

Update on our situation is the doctor rang and said he tried to bypass her seeing a children's doctor and just send her for a scan but they weren't having it so now we are waiting for a outpatients appointment where we will have our scan at the same time hopefully x

 

[holden_babez]

all my 4 kids have this and so does myself and my mum..
we are all fine so hopefully your LO is too
Good Luck x

 

[supertabby]

Ok I'm a little concerned now, my boy has a "dimple" in his butt crack above his rectum and dark hair above his butt. The pediatrician said the hair will go away (so far its not) but I don't think he noticed the dimple because I didn't until I was home from the hospital.

Go get it checked out but don't worry, harmless dimples are quite common. They all have to be checked out due to the association with sb but any such problems are very rare.

The hair thing is if there's a tuft of hair coming from inside the dimple, not just general hair on the back. Hair in the dimple is said to be a more likely sign of issues however I've heard dozens of stories of harmless dimples with hair in. The fact that it is low down is a very good sign, the tethered cord dimples are usually higher up the spine.

 

[pinklightbulb]

Eamon had a sacral dimple and still has it now. It was really deep but he checked out fine.

 

[RubyLouise]

Eamon had a sacral dimple and still has it now. It was really deep but he checked out fine.

Has it filled out as he is getting older?
Chloes was much deeper at birth than what it is now

 

[tashyluv]

My dd1 had a sacral dimple. It was checked at birth and they told me as long as it didnt get infected or enlarged its should be ok. My daughter is now nearly 3 and still has it x

 

[RubyLouise]

Had a letter through the post asking me to ring to make an Appointment.
They want her to see a peaditrition (i cant spell that word sorry!) before the scan.
So the appointment is next Thursday.....Im really nervous about it...Im just hoping that its ok x

 

[BlueHadeda]

At least now you have an appointment date!! Try not to worry too much, though it's of course understandable. Remind yourself that the far majority of dimples is totally harmless and means nothing. Good luck!!