Birthmarks

What are birthmarks?

Birthmarks are very common; they are marks found on the surface of the skin, which are either visible when born or develop soon after a baby is born. There are many different types of birthmark; they come in all shapes and sizes and can be different colours. The medical name for a birthmark is naevus.

Most birthmarks are harmless and there are no side-effects of birthmarks; however, in some cases, people may feel self-conscious about the appearance of their birthmark and this may cause them to have issues with confidence and self-esteem.

In many cases, birthmarks fade as the child grows up but some will be visible forever.

Types of birthmark

There are several different types of birthmark; most birthmarks are vascular birthmarks, meaning they occur as a result of problems with the vessels under the skin; experts usually classify vascular birthmarks as either haemangiomas or vascular malformations.

Haemangioma:

Haemangiomas are the most common type of vascular birthmark; most birthmarks of this type appear as raised red marks on the face of the skin. In most cases, haemangiomas grow rapidly during the first few months of the baby’s life and then slows down; a frequent example of this type of birthmark is a strawberry spot. Most haemangiomas fade as time goes by but in rare cases, they may stay with the child for the rest of their lives. Haemangiomas are more common in girls and they usually appear on the head or neck. It is estimated that around 1 in 10 babies are born with or develop a strawberry spot; 7 in 10 children have lost their strawberry mark by the time they are 7 years old.

Vascular malformation

Vascular malformations are composed of blood vessels; most birthmarks of this type develop during infancy but occasionally babies are born with vascular malformations. The two most common examples of vascular malformations include salmon patches and port wine stains; port wine stains are red or purple in their appearance and usually appear on the face, chest or back. Port wine stains may get darker as the child ages and they will usually only appear on a single side of the child’s body; around three in one thousand babies have port wine stains. Salmon patches (sometimes known as stork spots) are very common, affecting around 50 percent of babies. Salmon patches are usually flat and red in colour; most children have them on their eyelids and the rear of their neck. In most cases, these patches fade as the baby grows up.

Pigmented birthmarks

Pigmented birthmarks are not caused by the blood vessels like vascular birthmarks; instead they are brought about by clusters of pigment cells, which usually produce a brown patch on the face of the skin. Examples of pigmented birthmarks include Mongolian blue spot, cafe-au-lait spots and congenital melanocytic naevi. Mongolian blue spots usually affect people with darker skin; they appear as purple or blue blotches on the skin (they often look like bruises); they are usually found on the rear or buttocks and most children lose them by the time they reach four years old. Cafe-au-lait spots are coffee coloured patches that appear on the surface of the skin; most children only have one or two patches; if your youngster has more than six of these patches, they may be suffering with a genetic disorder known as neurofibromatosis. Congenital melanocytic naevi (CMN) is characterised as brown and black moles; they are usually visible when the baby is born. CMN usually fades as children age but they moles will not usually go away; in some cases, surgery may be used to remove the moles.

What causes birthmarks?

Different types of birthmark are brought about by different factors:

• Haemangioma: these are brought about by overgrowth of different types of blood cells under the surface of the skin; it is unknown why this occurs for some people and not others.
• Port wine stains: these are brought about by problems with the minute capillaries under the surface of the skin. Port wine stains occur as a result of problems with the nerves which control the contraction and dilation of the capillaries; port wine stains occur when the capillaries are constantly dilated and blood is continually pumped to that area of the body.
• Salmon patches: these birthmarks are brought about by a build up of the blood vessels lower than the surface of the skin.

Is there any treatment for birthmarks?

• Haemangioma:

In most cases, haemangiomas shrink or fade as time goes by and most children lose them by the time they are around seven or eight years old. In some cases, where the haemangioma is raised, bulky or located in an awkward place (for example close to the child’s eye), treatment may be necessary; in some cases medication will be used to shrink the mark and in others, surgery may be advised. If your youngster has a haemangioma which affects their breathing, they may require a laser procedure.

• Port wine stains:

Port wine stains do not fade over time and are permanent; some people may not be bothered by their birthmark, while for others, their birthmark may cause great distress. Possible treatments for port wine stains include a pulsed dye laser procedure, which is used to lighten the colour of the blotch and make it less obvious; patients will require a series of laser treatments and the success of the treatment will depend largely on the darkness of the original birthmark. You can also get camouflage make-up on prescription; this is a unique type of design, which is used to cover up birthmarks.

• Salmon patches:

Salmon patches fade quickly after birth and require no treatment.

• Pigmented birthmarks:

In most cases, the marks fade as the child ages; however, congenital melanocytic naevi may be treated using surgery in some cases. Some people feel self-conscious about the appearance of the marks and this can affect their self-confidence; surgery can help to improve the individual’s appearance but the operation may cause scarring.

Are there any complications of birthmarks?

In many cases, birthmarks are harmless and have no side-effects; however, in some cases, complications may arise.

Haemangiomas is at times very dangerous, especially if they are internal; sometimes they can affect breathing so they must be treated. Occasionally, they may bleed; if this happens, apply pressure to the birthmark with a tissue or cloth to stem the bleeding; if you are worried about your child’s birthmark, don’t hesitate to talk to your health visitor or GP about it. If the haemangioma is located close to the eye, nose or mouth, this can cause complications and you may be advised to consider surgery. In some cases, the haemangioma may leave a mark behind or the skin may appear to be stretched; sometimes plastic surgery may be used to restore the appearance of the skin.

Sometimes, port wine stains can be associated with the following problems:

• Glaucoma (this is associated with marks that are located around the eye)
• Soft tissue hypertrophy: this occurs when the soft tissue underneath the birthmark increases in size
• Sturge - Weber syndrome: an uncommon syndrome; sufferers usually have a big port wine stain on their forehead and scalp.
• Klippel - Trenaunay syndrome: a very rare condition, which occurs when blood vessels don’t develop properly.

Guide to Newborn Babies’ Appearance:

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• Newborn Babies’ Appearance
• Shape of newborn’s head
• Birthmarks
• Your Baby’s Umbilical Cord

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