Question
My baby is three and a half months old, a boy. Today, while changing his diapers, I noticed that he has grown two pairs of accessory breasts. Is this hereditary? Could it be from the grandfather or grandmother?? Will it interfere with him?
Answer
Accessory breasts are formed because humans have 6 to 8 pairs of breast buds along the lines from the armpit to the inguinal region during embryonic development. Before birth, except for the two pairs in front of the chest that specialize in storing milk, the rest shrink. If, due to abnormal growth and development, these breast buds do not completely shrink, they form multiple breasts, also known as polythelia. Accessory breasts can be inherited across generations. Both males and females can be affected. They will never disappear naturally, but they are not serious, and generally, the risk of accessory breasts becoming malignant is extremely low.