Seven Months old baby to undergo surgery to remove birth-mark

yinka ogunlami

December 29, 2015 11:33 PM

Seven-month-old baby girl, Ruby Ashy, from Towradji near Wollongong, will have to undergo extensive skin surgery to remove a large dark birthmark covering the top half of her face.

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Seven-month-old baby girl, Ruby Ashy, from Towradji near Wollongong, will have to undergo extensive skin surgery to remove a large dark birthmark covering the top half of her face.

About one in 500,000 children are born with this mark known as Congenital Melanocytic Nevus which covers the right side of the face and head.

Ruby needs to undergo seven operations to fully remove the dark, hairy mark before she starts school, and the first operation which would cost $10,000 is scheduled to take place on January 12.

reports that the procedure includes inserting a silicone balloon under her skin on a part of her body not covered by the birthmark. The balloon is then slowly inflated with saline over a number of weeks.

The part of her face covered in the birthmark will then slowly be replaced with the excess skin gained from the first procedure. Doctors assume it will take up to seven operations to totally replace the birthmark with new skin.

Her Mum, Natalie said: ''Ruby is like any normal baby, she has such a happy personality and is just perfect. We wouldn't change her but it is important to have it removed before she starts school - she was born with it but it doesn't mean she has to live with it."

''We just want the best for her. We are hoping by the time she starts school the mark will be gone, it takes time though because we have to give time for the skin to heal between surgeries.''

It is expected that when the baby turns eight, she will have an eyebrow transplant as her right brow will have to be removed during one of the earlier surgeries.

yinka ogunlami