Birthmarks

DISCLAIMER: The following advice is of a general nature only. Information from online sources, including this one and the sites I link to, should always be confirmed by a doctor.

COMMON BIRTHMARKS

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Naevus simplex

Common = up to 40% of all newborns
Also known as angel’s kisses (on the eyelids or between the eyebrows, as in the photo on the left) or stork mark (on the back of the neck, see photo below)
Present at birth, affecting boys and girls the same (1:1)
Irregular, fade if pressed, but comes back quickly More obvious if baby is crying, straining or hot
Most go within the first year, but may still be seen with a fever or crying
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Naevus simplex

Stork mark (for more information, see above)
About 50% of stork marks stay into adulthood but are usually hidden by hair
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Naevus flammeus

Not common = 0.3% of newborns
Also known as Port Wine Stain
Pink, red or purple patches
Can be small, large and/or multiple
Usually on one side of the body
Often persist, getting darker and thicker
May be treated with laser when older
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Capillary haemangioma

May be present, but very small, at birth
Also known as superficial infantile proliferative haemangioma or strawberry naevus
More than 80% occur on the head and neck
They grow quickly within the first 3 months, will stop growing by 18 months, but typically stop growing by about 5 months
Once they stop growing, they usually disappear by themselves, but can stay for years = 3-10 years, and then may disappear in a week!
They look like they are stuck onto the skin
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Cavernous haemangiomas

Also known as deep infantile capillary haemangiomas
They sit within the skin rather than on top of it, so look like a bluish swelling
They may feel soft to firm
Like the capillary haemangiomas, they can grow rapidly, stabilise and then go away by themselves
Small ones are usually just observed
Big ones may be checked out via an ultrasound or even a MRI scan
Some are treated with lotions, tablets, injections or laser
If they are near the eye, liver or windpipe, even small ones may need to be investigated and treated
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Mongolian spot

Common = more than 90% of East Asians, Polynesians, Indonesians and Micronesians, not as common in other races
Also known as lumbosacral dermal melanocytosis
Present at birth
Looks like a bruise
Usually affects the lower back and bottom of newborn babies but is sometimes seen on the face, arms or legs
They are usually small (a few centimetres in diameter) but can be large
The skin looks and feels normal, apart from the blue-grey colour
Usually gone by age 4
Larger lesions may take longer or may never go
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Cafe au lait

Common in African Americans = 18%; less common in Hispanics = 3%; uncommon in Chinese = 0.4% and Caucasians = 0.3%
Usually present at birth or shortly afterwards
They are flat, more than 0.5 cm diameter and have a clear border
Literally the colour of milk coffee, hence the name
Darken in the sun
These spots stay
Usually just one or two, if more than 3 in a Caucasian or more than 5 in an African American then further review is recommended
They can be associated with conditions such as neurofibromatosis
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Congenital melanocytic navei

These are moles which are present at birth
Small ones are common (1:100), medium uncommon (1:1 000) and large are rare (1:20 000)
They occur at the same rate in all races and in males and females
Small are less than 1.5 cm
Medium can be up to 20 cm
Large up to 40 cm
Giant range from 40 cm to larger than 60 cm
Sometimes there are lots of extra (satellite) moles
They grow in proportion to the growth of the child
They are usually benign and cause no trouble, although the giant ones can be very big and even hairy. There is a small long-term risk of developing into a melanoma, most likely in the giant ones, if they cross the midline of the body or if there are a lot of satellite lesions. Like most other pigmented skin lesions, they should be regularly checked but they rarely need removal
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