Birthmark: Types, Causes, Risks & Treatment

As you welcome a baby into your life, you learn to love everything about them; from their crooked smiles to their birth marks. Birthmarks could be little moles, freckles or blemishes on your newborn’s skin that are present upon birth or appear soon afterwards. Don’t worry, they are mostly harmless and some even disappear without any treatment.

In this article, we will discuss in detail about birth marks, birthmark types, their causes, risks and treatment.

What is a Birthmark?

Birth marks are marks on the skin that can develop on a baby’s skin before birth or soon after it. Birthmarks come in different colours ranging from brown, black and pale blue to pink, red or purple. They can also be flat or slightly raised and have regular or irregular borders.

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Types of Birthmarks

There are mainly two types of birthmarks, vascular birthmarks and pigmented birthmarks, each of which has different causes. Vascular birthmarks are caused when blood vessels don’t develop correctly. Pigmented birthmarks occur when there is an overgrowth of the cells that create colour or pigment in the skin.

The most common vascular birthmarks include the following:

1. Macular stains

Faint red in colour, macular stains are also known as salmon patches, angel kisses and stork bites. They typically appear on the forehead, eyelids, back of the neck, nose, upper lip or back of the head. They often fade on their own around the age of 1-2 years, some may however last into adulthood.

2. Hemangiomas

Hemangiomas can be of three types: superficial (when they’re on the skin’s surface), deep (when below the skin’s surface) and compound (when they affect both layers). It can be bright red and slightly raised, usually visible a few days or weeks after birth. Deep hemangiomas may even look bluish in colour.

3. Port-wine stains

Port-wine stains as the name sounds look like wine spilt on an area of the body. They usually appear on the face, neck, arms or legs and can be of any size. They grow as the child grows and may darken and thicken over time unless treated.

The most common pigmented birthmarks include the following:

1. Café-au-lait spots

Coloured like coffee with milk, these spots can appear anywhere on the body and even increase in number as a child grows. Having several café-au-lait spots may indicate neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes abnormal cell growth of nerve tissues.

2. Mongolian spots

Mongolian spots are flat, bluish-grey patches often found on the lower back or butt. They are most common among children of Asian, American Indian, African Hispanic and Southern European descent. They fade on their own with age.

3. Moles

Mole is a common term for brown spots called nevi and most people have them. They can be tan, brown or black in colour and even have hair growing out of them. Moles present upon birth are called congenital nevus and last for life. Some moles carry a risk of skin cancer or melanoma.

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Causes of Birthmarks

Doctors are unsure as to what exactly causes birth marks. Rest assured they are not caused by anything you may have done or not done during pregnancy and they can’t be prevented. Most birth marks are also not related to any trauma that the skin could have endured during childbirth. Some birth marks even run in your family although there is little research behind the genetics cause.

Risks of Birthmark

Although most birth marks are harmless and don’t cause any complications, there are certain risks that you should be aware of:

• The birthmark may bleed, hurt, itch or get infected

• Hemangiomas carry a small risk of open sores which can get infected

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• Moles can alter in size, colour and texture and pose a risk of skin cancer

You must visit a doctor if you notice any of the above changes in your baby’s birthmarks.

Treatments for Birthmark

Most birth marks do not require treatment but some do. As a result, it’s important to get a birthmark checked instantly if you are concerned about it. Possible treatments for birth marks include:

1. Medications

Medications can help reduce the blood flow to the birthmark and slow down its growth and lighten its colour.

2. Laser therapy

Laser therapy uses light and heat to shrink the birthmark and make it lighter. It works best when started between the ages of 6 months to 1 year.

3. Surgery

Surgery can also help remove a birthmark but it may sometime leave scarring.

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No matter which birth marks your baby is born with, you should learn to accept it and teach them to embrace it as well. While accepting them is important, keeping an eye on them is even more important to make sure they don’t develop into something serious.