Background: Bednar's aphthae can still be found in newborn infants but have nearly disappeared from recent paediatric literature.
Objectives: To find out the incidence of Bednar's aphthae among newborn infants during the first week of life and the factors associated with the ulcers.
Methods: Clinical findings and statistical data were documented of 1,654 infants routinely examined for preventive reasons in two obstetric hospitals in Cologne, Germany.
Results: Bednar's aphthae were found in 236 of the 1,494 neonates examined (15.8%) in whom the whole palate could be visualized. They were associated with spontaneous birth at term, nutrition with formula, and mucosal hyperaemia of the typical anatomical location.
Conclusions: Bednar's aphthae are not a rare phenomenon and still commonly occur in neonates.
Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.