The color of a baby’s skin can differ significantly depending on factors like age, race, or ethnicity. One of the many distinguishing features you could notice is a birthmark, a distinctive-looking patch on the skin that a newborn is born with or develops soon after birth.
What is a birthmark on a baby?
Photo by Karolina Grabowska
Birthmarks are raised, discolored spots of skin that can become visible as early as a few weeks after delivery. Birthmarks are made of blood vessels or abnormal pigment cells.
The majority of birthmarks are benign and don’t require treatment, even when the precise cause is unknown. Any babies with birthmarks should be examined by your child’s doctor, especially if they are:
- Running along the spine’s length in the middle of the back (may be related to spinal cord problems)
- Huge birthmark on the face, head, or neck
- Restricting mobility or function (i.e. a birthmark on the eyelid that could obstruct vision)
What causes birthmarks
A birthmark’s origin is typically unknown. Most of them have been purchased. Even though there are many myths and legends about birthmarks, none of them have been proven to precisely describe the causes of birthmarks.
Birthmark Types
Some common birthmark types include:
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Birthmark on face: Stork bites or salmon patches
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A birthmark on face. These are little pink or red spots frequently found on a baby’s top lip, back of the neck, and eyelids. The term “stork bite” refers to the marks on the back of the neck where the myth indicates a stork may have picked up the newborn.
These marks are caused by a group of immature blood vessels, and they may be more noticeable when the baby is crying. Most of these fade and disappear eventually.
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Red birthmark on baby: Strawberry hemangioma
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This strawberry-like area is raised or swollen, brightly or deeply red, and bumpy. Hemangiomas or a red birthmark on a baby are a collection of microscopic, immature blood vessels.
Although they often form in the first two months, they cannot be present at birth. Strawberry hemangiomas are more common in females and premature newborns.
Growing birthmark on baby: These birthmarks usually get larger for a few months before beginning to fade gradually. They may bleed or become infected, but it rarely happens.
Nearly all strawberry hemangiomas have completely gone by the age of nine.
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Port-wine stains are flat birthmarks that are pink, crimson, or purple in hue. These are caused by an aggregation of microscopic blood vessels called dilated capillaries. They frequently occur on the head or neck. They may be little or occupy a significant amount of the body.
Growing birthmark on baby: Port wine stains do not change color when softly pressed and do not disappear over time. The infant or adult may become thicker and darker as they age. Port wine facial stains could be an indication of more serious problems.
A certain sort of laser is the best resort to removing port-wine stains. A professional in plastic surgery accomplishes this when the baby gets older.
READ MORE:
Have birthmarks checked! Woman’s birthmark explodes because of her pregnancy
What causes a birthmark and when should I be worried?
Rashes and pimples on baby’s face? 6 common skin conditions your newborn might have
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Congenital dermal melanocytosis is the term for blue or purple patches that usually appear on a baby’s lower back and buttocks. All infants with darker skin tones could go through this. The spots are brought on by a collection of pigmented cells. They typically disappear after the first four years of life.
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A common mole with a diameter of fewer than 3 inches will appear in about 1 in 100 neonates. The youngster becomes bigger as they get older, but they usually don’t pose any issues. Your child’s doctor will keep a close eye on them because, very rarely, they could turn into malignant moles.
Venous malformations are tangles of veins in the skin that formed during development incorrectly. Due to the veins, these birthmarks are blue or purple.
Despite being present since birth, they could not become obvious until puberty. The veins may expand and even become painful with activity or under specific conditions.
These birthmarks might not cause any problems at all. Therapy can be required, though, if the birthmark harms your child or makes it difficult for them to go about their daily lives.
Sometimes, small blood clots called phleboliths might form in the veins. Although they are usually not dangerous, these clots can be uncomfortable and stiff. Compression clothing, medications, surgery, and procedures are all possible forms of therapy.
Venous malformations often only affect the skin, but they can also occasionally affect muscles, bones, or internal organs. Your doctor might suggest a scan to discover more about the birthmark on your child.
Image from Shutterstock
These common birthmarks are known as “coffee with milk” or “café au lait” due to their light brown color. The marks are usually flat and round or oval in shape. Most are smaller than a child’s hand and have smooth edges. They are present at birth or first manifest themselves at a very young age.
The majority of café-au-laits won’t get skin cancer, but they might get darker with more sun exposure. The highly rare McCune-Albright syndrome may be connected to a big café au lait patch with ragged borders. Numerous coffee stains could be a sign of a number of illnesses, including neurofibromatosis.
Call your pediatrician if your child has more than five spots, spots bigger than a café au lait, or spots in the groin or armpits.
Mosaicism is a condition in which a person has two sets of genes or DNA in their body. Skin tone may vary due to several genes in pigmentary mosaicism.
Despite the fact that a genetic mutation that results in pigmentary mosaicism is present at birth, the affected skin may not appear pigmented until much later in life.
This might occasionally happen after being in the sun. After being exposed to the sun, some areas could become brighter or darker.
The majority of children have benign birthmarks called pigmentary mosaicism, yet some variations may create the impression that the lesion is “spreading.”
Birthmark removal
Although most birthmarks don’t require medical attention, if you have a prominent birthmark that makes you feel insecure, you may wonder how to get rid of it.
The majority of birthmarks are either curable or, at the very least, can be made less noticeable. Anyone who has a birthmark can benefit from having it removed, but your doctor can advise you on the best course of action based on the type of birthmark you have.
Depending on the type of birthmark you have, your doctor might advise:
Vascular birthmarks can be made less apparent by employing lasers to constrict blood vessels, as opposed to physical removal of birthmarks through shaving or surgery. Some birthmarks, including hemangiomas, can also be treated medically to shrink them.
How to prevent birthmarks during pregnancy
Doctors believe that most birthmarks have unknown causes. There is no way to prevent them, and neither actions taken nor omitted during pregnancy can influence their occurrence.
A birthmark on a baby could run in families despite the lack of a hereditary cause.
Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. theAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.
