Some babies are born with a small fossa, dimple or slit in the lower back: it is the dermal sinus in the sacral area or lumbar region. The baby does not bother you and they generally do not matter, but sometimes you have to do certain tests, because we can meet two very different phenomena.
Some dermal sinuses communicate with the spinal canal, with the central nervous system, and need follow-up and treatment. In the hospital they will know what type of fosita it is, being guided by its external appearance. Let's see what a difference there is between these dimples in the baby's lower back.
The baby's spinal dermal sinus
If the pit is deep (the bottom covered by skin is not visible), they are located above the intergluteal fold or are more than 2.5 centimeters from the anus, they must be studied. These grooves should be scanned by ultrasound and if necessary additional tests to avoid complications.
It is an anomaly produced by an incomplete separation between the neural ectoderm and the epithelial ectoderm during the first weeks of pregnancy, a dysraphism that allows a potential communication between the skin and the nervous system.
Other signs that indicate that the dermal sinus is dangerous is that the dimple may be accompanied by suppuration, vascular lesions, excess hair or a palpable tumor (lump). With proper surgical treatment, it usually evolves favorably.
The dermal fosita or pilonidal dimple
On the other hand, there are some huyuelos in the baby's lower back that are not in danger: it is the pilonidal fosita or dimple, also called the sacrococcygeal or sacrococcygeal sinus. If the bottom of the "breast" covered by skin can be seen, they are located in the crease between the buttocks or are less than 2.5 centimeters from the anus, they are considered benign, since they do not communicate with the spinal canal.
That is, these grooves are located in the upper region of the intergluteal fold, generally it does not require imaging studies because it is a benign entity that disappears spontaneously. They are much more frequent, since about 2-4% of newborns present it.
If your baby is born with a hole in the lower back, specialists will determine what type it is, because while one is benign, the other needs study and treatment to avoid infections and other serious complications.
