Babies Birthmarks and Which Ones are Most Common

What are Birthmarks?

Birthmarks are areas of discolored skin that are on a baby’s body at birth or that show up within a few months after delivery. Over 80 percent of babies have some kind of birthmark. Some stay for life, while others fade away over time.

Most birthmarks fall into one of two categories : Vascular and Pigmented

Vascular birthmarks are caused by blood vessels that have accumulated below the surface of the skin. They range in color from pink to red to bluish, depending on the depth of the blood vessels.

Pigmented birthmarks are usually brown, gray, bluish, or black– result from an abnormal development of pigment cells.

My 5-month-old daughter was born with a birthmark on her back , Strawberry Marks or Capillary hemangioma. That begin to grow rapidly in her back, I seek my pediatrician right away, and she told me that, hemangiomas occur mostly on the head and neck, and, unlike other birthmarks, they can grow rapidly.

They usually show up during the first six weeks of life — only 30 percent are visible at birth — and grow for about a year, usually getting no bigger than 2 or 3 inches.

Then, without treatment, they usually stop growing and begin to turn white and shrink. This reversal process can take three to ten years. While many hemangiomas leave normal-looking skin in their wake, others can cause permanent skin changes.

And that led me to wondering how common birthmarks are among newborns. Here are the list of the common birthmarks found in babies.

1. Strawberry Marks – The real name for these birthmarks is capillary hemangioma and they can be found on 2% of newborn babies. These bumps are red, soft, and raised up on the skin. They often look like the shape of a strawberry.These marks usually begin to appear by the child’s one-month birthday. These birthmarks usually go away around age 5, but in rare cases can last longer. But If they begin to grow rapidly you should see your doctor right away. There is a laser therapy that is used in emergency cases.

2. Port-wine stains or nevus flammeus – Present at birth, these vascular birthmarks range from pale pink to dark purple and can appear anywhere on the body, although they show up most often on the face or head. About 1 in 300 infants is born with a port-wine stain.

Light port-wine stains might fade, but most endure and get bigger as the child grows. Sometimes port-wine stains can thicken and darken. They can also form cobblestones, or small lumps, on the surface of the skin over the course of decades.

3. Stork bites, angel kisses, salmon patches and vascular stains – Blotchy pink or purple flat marks that are formed by dilated capillaries near the surface of the skin. This is the most common type of birthmark, with up to 70 percent of babies having one or more.

These birthmarks can become more noticeable when your baby cries or when there’s a change in temperature. The ones on the back of the neck, called stork bites, usually last into adulthood. The ones on the forehead or eyelids, called angel kisses, usually go away by age 2.

4. Mongolian Spots - These spots are usually found on darker skinned babies (Hispanic, Asian, Native American, and African American). They appear on the lower back, legs, and buttocks and are usually the color of a bruise. Children may have more than one. These spots are noticed at birth and almost always fade away by age 5. Only 5% of children with Mongolian Spots will have them for life. These spots are totally harmless and do not suggest any other type of syndrome.

Not all birthmarks require a medical attention. But it’s important to have your child’s health care provider to take a look at all of your child’s birthmarks.Because of some potential problems which include:

• Port-wine stains near the eye and cheek are sometimes associated with vision problems like glaucoma, or with seizures and developmental delay.

• Large hemangiomas, depending on where they’re located, can interfere with eating, seeing, or breathing. Hemangiomas can sometimes grow internally, threatening the health of an organ. Others can be cosmetically disfiguring.

• Birthmarks on the lower spine may extend beneath the skin and affect the nerves and blood flow to the spinal cord.

• Groups of six or more café au lait spots may be a sign of a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1). Children with NF-1 usually have the spots at birth or by age 2, although the number may increase in childhood and occasionally later in life. About 50 percent of people with NF-1 also have learning disabilities.

• Certain especially large moles that are present at birth have an increased risk of eventually becoming cancerous.

• Some prominent or disfiguring birthmarks can become psychologically damaging to a child over time.

There are treatment options on birthmarks and it depends on some of the conditions mentioned above that might require removal.Treatment options include surgery, laser therapy, and topical, oral, or injected steroids. And almost all surgical birthmark-removal treatments can cause some scarring. If a birthmark isn’t disfiguring or causing physical problems, your baby’s doctor may suggest that it’s best to leave it alone.

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