Is your child’s birthmark cause for concern?

Is your child’s birthmark cause for concern?

There seems to be some mysticism surrounding birthmarks. Some believe they’re leftover pieces of a past life while others believe that any strong emotion a mom experiences during pregnancy produces a birthmark. The medical world, however, simply explains it as a mark present at birth.

So is this so-called simple mark something parents need to lose sleep over? Not so much. Usually, most birthmarks are benign, and some will go away with time, but in some rare cases, treatment may be required. Birthmarks that linger are usually not treated unless they cause unwanted symptoms.

By and large, says Dr. Liborka Kos, pediatric dermatologist at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill., most birthmarks are generally not cause for worry. “The vast majority of children are born with nothing alarming, so parents don’t need to be overly concerned,” she says.

Types of birthmarks
Most birthmarks come in two varieties: pigmented and vascular. Pigmented birthmarks occur when you have more pigment in one part of your skin. Pigmented birthmarks include:

  • Moles
  • Café-au-lait spots: Light brown or the color of coffee with milk when on light skin and the color of black coffee on dark skin
  • Mongolian spots: Appear as grayish-blue areas on the backs and behinds of babies with darker skin, almost bruise-like in appearance

Moles are birthmarks that may need treatment depending on their size, Dr. Kos says. She says they can appear in three sizes:

  • Small—under 1 cm
  • Medium—1.5 cm to 20 cm
  • Large—20 cm or bigger

“With a large mole, the child has an increased risk of developing melanoma,” says Dr. Kos, which requires complicated treatment and possible referral to a plastic surgeon. Small and medium moles have less risk associated with them.

Vascular birthmarks appear when extra blood vessels clump together, and according to the American Academy of Dermatology, more than one in 10 babies are born with them. Types of vascular birthmarks include:

  • Macular stains (also called stork bites/angel kisses/salmon patches): Flat, pink blemishes on eyelids (angel kisses), back of the neck (stork bites) and other areas of the face
  • Hemangiomas: Deep hemangiomas have a bluish-purple color and cause the skin to swell and bulge. Superficial hemangiomas are higher in the skin and appear bright red.
  • Port wine stains: Appear on the face in the color of pink, red or purple wine or grape juice

Mongolian spots and macular stains are fairly common types of birthmarks, says Dr. Kos and tend to fade over time as the child gets older. Less common are hemangiomas.

Dr. Kos says these tend to grow in the first six to eight months and go away during a period of two to seven years. Most don’t require treatment. “However, if the birthmark is on an area affecting a function, like the eyelid, for example, sometimes they may need to be treated,” she explains.

In addition, if it is in a cosmetically sensitive area, it may also require treatment and should be followed by a dermatologist.

Port wine stain birthmarks are the rarest (less than 1 percent of people are born with them) and occur because the capillaries in the skin are wider than they should be. Dr. Kos says these birthmarks do not go away, and in fact, gradually, over the years, they usually darken and thicken.

“You can laser them to lighten them, but it requires multiple treatments,” Dr. Kos explains. “The treatment helps, but it will darken again over time so it may need to be lightened again.”

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Comments

13 Comments

  1. My daughter was born with a superficial hemangioma on her forehead, which is about the diameter of a pea. I was surprised as a new mom to learn how common they are – I just hadn’t been aware of it before. One funny thing – it used to turn bright red when she would cry! Now, my daughter is 3 years old and it has significantly lightened and flattened, though it is still visible. I imagine it will disappear in the next couple of years.

  2. My daughter was also born with a strawberry hemangioma at the outside of her eyebrow. She will be five soon, and although it has lightened it is still there. We dont really notice it now, and she never mentions it either. But I have considered getting it removed as people who dont know her ask what happened to her or how she got her “boo boo”. Being a girl I’m not sure how she will feel about it and as she gets older I may let her decide what she wants to do if it is still there.

  3. great information. I never knew birth marks could be dangerous.

  4. I’m the proud owner of a port wine stain and had no idea it was as rare as less than 1% (maybe I should play the lottery!). This was so interesting to read, that I shared it with My Mom. I’m 29 now, but as a kid I had several laser treatments that helped to lighten it and probably prevented it from developing any of the above mentioned syptoms. This article made me count my blessings that I have never developed any complications from it, and that although it’s large, ( it is on my neck and part of my chest) it’s on an area that makes it eay to conceal with hair and make up. All can rest assured that there can be a great life after birth marks! 🙂

  5. I didn’t think birthmarks were serious. My son has a large almost 1 in dark mole on his outer thigh and when I asked my pediatrican about it he said it was nothing to worry about, but now I feel I should seek a second opinon since it is quite large, has long hairs growing from it and is pretty dark. I hope it is nothing but this artical still makes me worry.

    • My 12-year old son also has a large, hairy brown birthmark, between a quarter and half dollar size on his upper, outer left thigh.

  6. My daughter has the rarest type she has the bilateral port wine stain on her face ,fingers crossed no problems with her eyes or they associated surge webber’s syndrome.
    She was having laser every 6 months till covid struck and sadly fallen behind.
    She was a part of a new study using a cream after laser and it was actually working really well . I just hope she can go back to the study asap

  7. I always knew i had a birthmark but never that it was potentially dangerous. I believe I have a large portwine stain on my upper back chest and both arms. I am 27 years old and it’s never been raised I’ve always thought it was just different coloured skin as that’s what it looks like. I was doing some research as mine tends to go blue purple when I’m cold but otherwise stays a nice pink. I do have brown skin so it’s not as stark as soon others I’ve seen

  8. I am a 68 year old female with a port Wine birthmark extending from my mid back down my Left leg to my left foot. I was diagnosed with KTS,(leg length discrepancy, venous insufficiency) as well as the red stain. Deep veins were thought to not be present but thanks to my vascular surgeon at Hershey he was able to redirect blood flow from my superficial veins to help relieve some swelling. I wasn’t aware of any laser treatments available until 10 years ago. I then received approx 35 lazor treatments to reduce the bright red markings. That was the first summer I had as able to walk on the beach without people staring. Since those treatments I have had some vein issues that needed coils to redirect blood flow. Because of the leg length discrepancy I have hip labral tears. I am grateful that my birthmark isn’t on my upper body and with good doctors I am able to be active.

  9. I have a brown birthmark on my leg in the shape of a circle. When I turn 18 my mom will let me turn it into a sun flower tattoo.

  10. My baby was born with sturge weber syndrome she is five month old she is having sezier with it she has glaucoma in both eyes she has it on her left face into her head I am from barbadoes I am hoping and praying I can really get some help for her she get very fuzzy most time and would cry need help or advice thank you

  11. I was born with a Mongolian blue spot that covers half my eye it’s a blue/purple colour and my pupils are brown and the rest of my eye all is white

  12. The day after I was born was when my port wine birthmark appeared on my right cheek, below my eye. I’m now 62 yrs old, have been with my husband for 43 yrs, and my mark has never been an issue.
    It’s not as smooth as it used to be but that’s okay. I’ve always told our children and our grandchildren, that it’s my “angel kiss.”
    I never knew it was so rare &/or had danger tied to it. I was just tested recently concerning possible seizures tied to this and the tests came back fine.
    As a grown adult, I can see it as a blessing now, where I couldn’t as a child or young adult.

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health enews Staff
health enews Staff

health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.