Most of the mothers who have given birth to babies should have had such an experience. After the birth of a baby, the family goes into the hospital room and carefully examines the baby’s little hands and feet and is finally relieved to see that no parts are missing. But some times, although nothing is missing, but found a little more unwanted things – birthmark!
The birthmark is generally a common folk name and has a high incidence on newborn babies. Some moms and dads with big hearts may think it’s okay, just a birthmark. But if it grows on the body or looks good, it’s just that, if it grows on the face, it will inevitably affect the baby’s appearance, and in serious cases, it will make the baby have low self-esteem. In addition, some birthmarks can even affect the baby’s health.
1.How is the birthmark formed?
Birthmarks are abnormal growths of skin tissue during development, resulting in abnormal shape and color on the skin surface. Not all birthmarks are present at birth, some appear later in life.
Although most birthmarks will stay with the baby for the rest of his or her life, some of them will fade on their own when the baby grows up. Usually, there are two types of birthmarks, one is pigmented birthmark and the other is vascular birthmark.
Pigmented birthmarks, mainly developed by pigment cells, are usually gray, brown, light blue, etc. Common ones are Mongolian spots, coffee milk spots, moles, etc.
Vascular birthmarks, mainly caused by blood vessels on the skin surface, generally have red, pink, blue, etc. The color degree is determined by the depth of blood vessels, common ones are crane kisses, hemangioma, neonatal nevus, etc.
2.Do all birthmarks need to be checked?
Some birthmarks are visible at birth, while some emerge slowly after a few months of life. Generally, birthmarks are red or purple, and some will disappear slowly with time, while others will not.
However, since birthmarks are generally divided into pigmented and vascular types, there is no way to determine the safety of birthmarks by the naked eye alone. Therefore, it is better for parents who have birthmarks to take their babies for a checkup.
3.Is a dangerous birthmark incurable?
Many families have a big misunderstanding about birthmarks. Some babies born with birthmarks are considered incurable and give up treatment, potentially delaying the child’s life.
In fact, with the advancement of laser medical technology, most birthmarks can be cured. So, which birthmarks are safe birthmarks and which birthmarks need special attention?
4.What are the safe birthmarks?
(1)Mongolian spot
Some newborn babies have greenish birthmarks on their buttocks, hands, feet and back, which are usually round, oval or square in shape, and the border is not obvious, commonly known as “Mongolian spot”.
The formation of Mongolian spots is mainly caused by the deep dermis layer where the melanocytes stay during the migration period to the epidermis when the baby is embryonic.
(2)Crane bite
Many babies are born with an irregular red area on the back of the neck, upper eyelids, eyebrows, tip of the nose, and the back of the head, which is called a “crane bite”.
This is a very common birthmark. It usually disappears on its own at the age of 1-2 years and does not require any intervention.
(3) Chestnut rash
Most newborns have small whiteheads or yellow dots on their cheeks, chin or entire nose caused by sebaceous secretions. These common baby rashes usually disappear on their own within 2 to 3 weeks after birth, without worry or human intervention.
(4) Neonatal macular nevus
Neonatal nevus is a flat red spot caused by capillary malformation, similar to a wine spot, which occurs in more than 80% of babies and is commonly found on the back of the neck, middle of the forehead, upper eyelids, side of the nose and upper lip.
It usually disappears on its own when the baby is a little older and will not affect the baby, so parents do not need to worry. However, sometimes, it may become obvious when the baby cries and throws a tantrum.
5.What are the less safe birthmarks?
There are some birthmarks that not only affect the beauty but also the health of the baby, so parents must not take it lightly when the baby has the following birthmarks. You should take your baby to the doctor according to the actual situation.
(1) Hemangioma
Hemangioma is a bright red raised patch that protrudes from the surface of the skin due to overgrowth of blood vessels and is also known as strawberry spot because it looks like a strawberry. (This is not something that grows only after eating strawberries)
Hemangiomas are usually found on the face, scalp, back and chest, and are mostly red and purple. At first it is just a small pale spot with a little redness in the middle that is not noticeable. As your baby grows, the hemangioma will begin to grow in size over the months.
Usually the hemangioma disappears completely or incompletely on its own by about the time the baby is about school age. However, if the hemangioma is very large or covers a large area of the body and grows rapidly and significantly above the skin’s surface, it is important to take your baby to the doctor for laser or medication treatment.
You should also advise your baby not to touch the location of the hemangioma all the time to avoid bleeding and infection.
(2) Pigmented nevus
Pigmented nevi are benign tumors composed of melanin-containing nevus cells. Although most of them grow slowly, as long as they exist, they will not fade away on their own.
If the pigmented nevus is relatively small, laser treatment is feasible, but if it is larger, it needs to be removed surgically. If a pigmented nevus suddenly becomes itchy, larger, etc. and produces abnormal changes, it should receive treatment as soon as possible.
(3)Coffee spot
Coffee spots are permanent birthmarks, and there is no designated approximate location, and they may appear in any location of the body. The color is usually light brown or like coffee with milk, so it is also called milk coffee spot.
Most café au lait spots are acquired, meaning that they are not detected by parents until the baby is a few months or even a few years old. Since café au lait spots do not cause any discomfort, they usually do not attract parents’ attention.
Most café au lait spots are just a spot and do not require special treatment. However, if the baby has more than 6 coffee spots with a diameter of more than 1.5 cm, it is necessary to consult a doctor for relevant examination and further evaluation.
(4) Wine-colored spots
Some newborn babies have darker colored spots on their temples, face or other parts of the skin, and as they grow older, the color of the spots will deepen to deep red or purple.
These darker reds need to be treated with a laser for larger patches if they do not fade over time. However, if they appear on the eyelids, they need to be treated as soon as possible and may accelerate the development of glaucoma.
Most birthmarks are actually safe and will not affect your daily life as long as you make sure it is safe and harmless.
However, some may affect the baby’s appearance because of the location of the growth, in which case makeup or surgery can be considered to reduce the impact on the baby.
However, regardless of whether the birthmark is benign or not, if you observe a sudden mutation of it, you must seek medical attention.