Birthmarks are discolored areas on a child’s skin that appear at birth or show up within a few months after birth. Some birthmarks fade away while some last a life time.

Most birthmarks fall into two categories

• vascular birthmarks are caused by  blood vessels below the surface of the skin
• pigmented birthmarks are usually brown, gray, bluish, or black. They result from abnormal development of pigment cells

These marks range from different shapes, sizes and colors and may appear on any part of the body.

Birthmarks and what they look like

• Café au lait spots : These are flat , light tan or light brown spots that are usually shaped like an oval. The spots do not cause any harm to your baby but if he has a lot of them on the skin that are larger than a quarter, discuss it with your pediatrician. It could be an indication of other diseases.
• Mongolian spot : These a very common in babies with darker skin. They are flat, bluish gray colored. They almost look like a bruise. Mongolian spots are commonly found on the lower back and buttock and sometimes the shoulders. Most of them fade somewhat by the time the baby is 2 years and completely disappear by age 5. If these spots still remain after puberty, they are most likely permanent
• Congenital melanocytic nevi : These  moles are present at birth and can be divided into two categories
  • small nevi which are common and tend to grow with the child. They usually do not cause any problems. Rarely they develop into some type of serious skin cancer at a later time
  • larger congenital nevi  may be flat or raised and may have hair growing from it. It can also be so large that it may cover the arm or leg. These types are however rare. They have a greater chance of developing into skin cancer than the small nevi. It is therefore a good idea to have them monitored
• Vascular malformations or hemangiomas : They are a varied  group of normally colored or pigmented spots that can be raised or flat. It can represent a growth of normal or abnormal  blood vessels. In infants, hemangiomas are usually referred to as strawberry hemangiomas . They can occur in the first few months of life and may disappear before school age
• Nervus  sebaceous : These are  waxy,  yellow – orange and hairless skin spots. They are found on the head or face. They occur as a result of an over growth of the top layer of the skin along with hair follicles and glands.  The spots become irritated and raised  by the time the child reaches puberty. They also have a small risk of developing into skin cancer during puberty. It is usually recommended that nervous sebaceous is surgically removed by adolescent

 
NOTE

Most birthmarks do not need treatment . However there are some that resemble blood vessel tumors, These are the  hemangiomas and may need treatment because of it’s location. For example a raised hemangioma near the child’s eye may need to be treated because it may interfere with the child’s  ability to see. In rare cases, birthmarks may be an indication of a medical condition and may need the  attention of a doctor.
 
Content Sources