A postpartum patient is upset that the baby was born with a congenital port-wine birthmark on the skin of the upper part of the right side of the face. What should the nurse explain to the mother about this birthmark?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sturge-Weber syndrome is characterized by a congenital port-wine birthmark on the skin of the upper part of the face that follows the distribution of the first division of the fifth cranial nerve. Because of involvement of the meningeal blood vessels, blood flow can be sluggish, and anoxia may develop in some portions of the cerebral cortex. The child will develop symptoms of numbness on the side opposite the lesion from destruction of motor neurons. This syndrome cannot be cured with medication.
Removing the birthmark with surgery will not correct the long-term effects of the problem. The birthmark is not caused by a concentration of melanin in the skin. This problem has the potential to cause more than cosmetic health problems.

A Postpartum Patient Is Upset That the Baby Was Born