Stork Bite Birthmarks: What Are They?

Your baby has been born, and the pediatrician is looking him or her over when you hear, “Looks like we have a little stork bite here.” “A stork bite!,” you say, in a more than concerned manner. “What is a stork bite, and why did a stork bite my baby?” You are suddenly scared out of your wits that something is terribly wrong with you baby. Take a deep breath and relax. Your baby, and her stork bite, are just fine.

A stork bite is a harmless type of birthmark that is found in some 30 to 50 percent of newborn babies. This type of birthmark appears as a flat, pink mark, and is usually found on a newborns forehead, upper lip, on an eyelid, or on the nape of the neck. When these birthmarks occur on the eyelids or forehead, they may be called angel kisses, and when on the back of the neck, they are often called stork bites. Another name for a stork bite birthmark is a salmon patch.

Stork bite birthmarks are made up of tiny capillaries that are very close to the surface of the skin, and they are in no way dangerous or harmful. While birthmarks are very common in newborns and infants, no one knows what actually causes them. There are also numerous types and colors of birthmarks, a stork bite being the most common. Mongolian spots, café au lair spots, and strawberry hemangiomas are other types of birthmarks. Birthmarks are not said to be genetic.

In most cases, stork bite birthmarks fade as you baby grows, and some many disappear all together. Angel kisses, or stork bite birthmarks on the face and eyelids, are more likely to disappear completely, while stork bite birthmarks on the nape of the neck usually remain, though faded. I have a sister, and three grown children who have stork bite birthmarks on the nape of their necks, but you have to lift their hair, and really look for them, as by the time your baby has a good head of hair, the stork bite will be well covered by it.

Since stork bite birthmarks are harmless, and fade as a child grows, there is usually no treatment required. This type of birthmark is not extremely obvious, though angel kisses on your baby’s face may get redder when he cries. And, because this type of birthmark is so common, you will find that there are few people who are not familiar with them in some way or another. If you still need reassurance, do not hesitate to speak to your doctor. In most cases, your baby’s stork bite birthmark will be the very least of your worries in no time flat, leaving you to fret over important things like the color of his poop, and what to do with the ghastly outfit your Aunt Bertha sent for baby’s first pictures.

Stork Bite: MedLinePlus Medical Dictionary
MedLine Plus

Jennifer Lacey
What is a Stork Bite? The Facts Behind Vascular Birthmarks
www.babiestoday.com