Every new parent waits with great expectation to see what their newborn child will look like. Does he have dad’s nose? Mom’s eyes? Or, Grandpa Ed’s big feet? In many cases, right after birth, your baby will look a bit like a prize fighter, but that will change quickly in a day or two. Another thing that is very common in newborn infants is the presence of birthmarks. In most cases, a birthmark is nothing to be concerned about, and some are more visible than others. Here is a brief discussion of the most common infant birthmarks.
Stork Bite Birthmark
A stork bite birthmark is the most common birthmark, and it is a flat area that is light red, or pink. This type of birthmark is also called an angel kiss, or salmon patch birthmark. Stork bite birthmarks most commonly appear on the nape of the neck, on an eyelid, on the forehead, or around the nose of an infant. These birthmarks disappear as your baby gets older, but some light mark may remain. Several of my kids have stork bite birthmarks on the nape of their necks, and I personally think that they are kind of cute.
Cafe Au Lait Birthmark
This sounds like a birthmark that one might pick up at Starbucks, but really is a pale brown, flat, oval area that can occur on any part of your child’s body. Cafe Au lait birthmarks do not fade with time, and often more than one may appear as your child gets older. If your child has more than six cafe au lait birthmarks, and they are larger than 2 centimeters each, your child’s doctor may want to do further evaluations, as these birthmarks can be associated with other medical problems. My youngest son had a cafe au lait birthmark about the size of a thumb print on his left bottom cheek. If he ever takes up streaking, I will be able to easily identify him from the back, if he is in a crowd.
Mongolian Spots
Mongolian Spots are bluish-black marks almost always found on an infants lower back or buttocks. This type of birthmark is most common in dark skinned babies. While Mongolian spots may get darker at first, they will fade as your child gets older, usually disappearing by the time that your infant is six or seven months old.
Strawberry Hemangioma
Ten percent of infants are born with strawberry hemangiomas. A strawberry hemangioma is a soft, firm area that is raise, and they can occur anywhere on an infants body. During the first year of your infants life the strawberry hemangioma may grow quite quickly and then stay that size until she is about 18 months old, or so. At that time, the birthmark will begin to fade and become smaller in size until your child is between five and ten years old. Roughly 50 percent of strawberry hemangiomas will fade my the time that a child is 5 years old, and 75 percent will have faded in a seven year old child. Most birthmarks of this type do not need treatment unless they are in an area that might inhibit development of your child, such as on an eyelid.
Port Wine Stains
Purple, or a deep red, port wine stains are flat birthmarks that generally occur on an infants face, or arms and legs. They also usually occur only on one side of an infants body. Port wine stains will grow at the same rate that your child grows, and these birthmarks do not fade with time. Laser treatment is often used to diminish the appearance of port wine stains, and if your child has this type of birthmark on his face, especially around the eyes, your doctor will want to do further tests for a associated syndrome that can also cause metal retardation and seizures in a child. However, do not worry, unless your doctor gives you cause to.
Do keep in mind that birthmarks are quite common in infants, and they are usually harmless. With hope, you will be more concerned about your new baby and the big feet he inherited from Grandpa Ed.
