Skin Cancer Blog

This article looks at the prevalence of naevi in childen. Epidemiological studies support the role of early-life UVR exposure in determining the prevalence of naevi in childhood. Naevi have been demonstrated to be common at a very young age in children in Queensland, Australia and to be associated with sun exposure.

Melanocytic naevi are benign skin lesions caused by the focal proliferation of melanocytes (pigment-producing cells), more commonly known as moles. Most people have at least one naevus, with fair-skinned people having more naevi than darker-skinned people. Some naevi are present at birth (congenital naevi) but the majority develop during childhood and early adult life (acquired naevi). For example, individuals with fair skin are at an increased risk for malignant melanoma and their prevalence of naevi is higher than darker-skinned individuals.

Click here to download the full paper

Source: Research Review

Associate Professor Pascale Guitera, Dr Annika Smith (Melanoma Institute Australia), Dr Louise Reiche (New Zealand)

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