Understanding Birthmarks in Newborns: A Parent’s Guide

Birthmarks cannot be prevented because they are not related to doing or not doing any particular thing during pregnancy. However, you must have heard many people say that when a pregnant woman eats some wrong things or does wrong activities during pregnancy, then due to that these birthmarks or birthmarks are formed on the child's body. But there is no truth in these things.

No clear reason has been found so far as to why birthmarks are formed on the body of a child. In many babies, birthmarks are inherited from their parents. But this happens in very few cases. Also, these birthmarks have no relation with any kind of trauma to the baby's skin during delivery.

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Are birthmarks genetic?
Some birthmarks are ancestral or hereditary and if someone in the family has it, then there is a possibility of the child also getting it, but most birthmarks are not genetic. In very rare cases, birthmarks are formed due to gene mutations.

Can birthmarks appear a few days after birth?
A birthmark is a mark or blemish on the skin that is either present on the baby's body from birth or appears within a few days of birth. Moles are such marks that are not present on your skin from birth but are formed later and hence they are not called birthmarks.

Birthmarks are mainly of two types and the reasons for both are different.

• The first is vascular birthmarks: These are formed when blood arteries are not formed properly. They are usually wider than normal or may be in greater numbers.
• The second is pigmented birthmarks: These birthmarks are formed when cells overgrow (overgrow) and due to this there is pigmentation in the skin.
• There are 3 types of vascular birthmarks - macular stains, hemangioma, port-wine stains. These birthmarks are usually pink, red or blue in colour. Due to the extra blood present in these blood arteries, some vascular birthmarks may also feel hot to the touch. Vascular birthmarks can look and behave differently depending on the type of blood vessels they are formed in.

1. Macular stains: Also known as salmon patches, angel kisses or stork bites, these are light red markings and are the most common type of vascular birthmark. They usually appear on the forehead, eyelids, back of the neck, nose, the area between the lips and nose (upper lip) or the back of the head. Macular stain birthmarks become more prominent when the baby cries. Most of these marks fade by the time the baby is 1 or 2 years old, but in some babies they remain until adulthood.
2. Hemangioma: These birthmarks are classified as shallow markings when they are on the surface of the skin, but they are very deep when they are deep inside the skin. These marks are slightly raised and their color is bright red and sometimes they are not visible anywhere on the child's body even after several days of birth. Birthmarks called deep hemangioma are blue in color because they include blood vessels that are present in the very deep surface of the skin.

Hemangioma grows very fast in the first 6 months after the birth of the child, but after that when the child is 5 or 10 years old, this birthmark becomes smaller and disappears on its own. Some of these birthmarks also leave scars behind which can be removed by plastic surgery. Although hemangioma can occur on any part of the body, it usually occurs on the head or neck. Sometimes due to this birthmark being near the eyes, mouth or nose, there may be problems in seeing, eating or breathing. 

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Port wine stains: These birthmarks discolor the part of the skin on which they are located, making it feel as if wine has spilled on that part of the body. This birthmark usually occurs on the face, neck, arms or legs. Port wine stains can be of any size and as the child grows, this birthmark also grows bigger. Over time, their color also becomes darker and by adulthood, if they are not treated, they can feel like a pebble on the skin when touched. This is a birthmark that never goes away on its own. If such a birthmark is around the eyes, it can also affect the person's ability to see.

Pigmented birthmarks are also of 3 types - cafe-au-le spots, Mongolian spots and moles. These birthmarks are formed when there is more pigment on one part of your skin than on the other part.

Café-au-lay spots: These are very common spots and their color is like milk coffee and that is why they have been given this name. They can appear on any part of the body and sometimes their number also increases as the baby grows. If there is only one such mark on the body, then there is no problem. However, if your baby has more than 6 cafe-au-lay spots on his body, larger than the size of a pencil eraser, then definitely get your baby examined by a doctor. Many such spots can be a sign of neurofibromatosis. This is a genetic disease in which cells start growing more than normal inside the nerve tissues.

Mongolian spots: These spots or patches are bluish-gray in color, they are completely flat and are usually found in the lower part of the room or on the hip. This birthmark is more common in people whose skin is dark colored such as people of Africa, people of Asia, Hispanic and people of South European countries. No treatment is required for this birthmark and by the age of 4-5 years, as soon as the child starts going to school, this birthmark fades and disappears on its own.

Moles (Congenital Nevi): Most people have moles at some point in their lives. The moles that are present on the body from birth are called congenital nevus and remain present on the body throughout life. If the size of these moles or congenital nevi is very large, then it can cause skin cancer or melanoma later in life. However, the chances of getting cancer due to moles are very low. Moles are usually round in shape, their color can be tan, brown or black. They can be completely flat or raised and sometimes hair growth also occurs from them.

As far as removing or treating birthmarks is concerned, pigmented birthmarks are left as it is. However, sometimes congenital moles and cafe-au-le spots are exceptions. If the size of congenital navels on any part of the body is very large, then they can be removed by surgery. However, if the moles are of small size, then it is easy to remove them, removing the big ones is a bit difficult. Cafe-au-le spots can be removed with the help of a laser, but in most cases they come back on the body.

On the other hand, if we talk about vascular birthmarks, then they can be treated. In this too, macular stains are an exception because they go away on their own without any treatment. Macular stains present on the back of the neck are long-lasting, but since they are on the back of the body, not many people notice them.

Some birthmarks like port-wine stains and hemangiomas look deformed and can be a cause of embarrassment for children. Hemangiomas can also be left untreated as they usually disappear by the time a child is 10 years old. However, if the hemangioma is very large or severe, it may be treated with medication.

Laser treatment is an option for removing port-wine stains. Most of these become very light after laser treatment, but there are some that reappear after a few days and need to be treated again. This type of laser treatment is usually started when the baby is a newborn because during this time both the spot and the blood vessels are small. Such birthmarks on the head and neck respond well to laser treatment. Port wine stains can also be hidden with special opaque makeup.

Most birthmarks or birthmarks are harmless and disappear on their own after some time. Despite this, you should definitely tell your child's pediatrician about any kind of birthmark present on the child's body. By doing this, the doctor can tell you how to monitor the growth of the birthmark. Also, the doctor can advise you whether this birthmark is a genetic condition that needs treatment.

It is very important to keep an eye on the birthmark present on the child's body and along with you, the doctor should also take care of this. If there is any kind of change in the birthmark, such as if it is growing in size, it is getting raised or if its color is getting darker, then you should keep an eye on these things. Also, if you see a very fast growth in any birthmark present on your child's body, then definitely tell the doctor about this.

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Moles also sometimes cause skin cancer. This is rare in infants but it can cause problems in adults. Also, when your child starts growing up, explain to him the importance of keeping an eye on the changes in the mole or birthmark on his body. The important things to keep in mind are any change in color, change in size and change in shape. If any mole or wart has an irregular border, then a skin doctor or dermatologist should be contacted regarding this as well.

As a parent, seeing any kind of birthmark on your newborn baby's body can be a shock for you. Nobody is perfect, despite this, most people always have a picture of a perfect child in their mind. In such a situation, if there is a birthmark on the baby's body that is clearly visible, then it is possible that people's eyes remain on it, people stare at that place or ask questions related to it. In such a situation, you should know what and how to answer them. If your child is young, then even at that time his eyes will be on you to see how you are facing such a situation and how you are reacting when asked questions related to the birthmark. This is the time when the child will learn to deal with his birthmark according to your reaction. Therefore, talk to children openly and in simple words about birthmark so that they can accept it just like they accept their hair color or any other part of the body.

Also, teach children simple answers so that if someone asks them about the birthmark on their body, they can answer. Like - it is just a birthmark and I was born with it. Also, it is very important that you fully support your child emotionally in the case of birthmark.

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Birthmarks are marks that appear on the skin at the time of birth or after some time. These marks can be of different colors, shapes and types, such as red, brown, blue or black spots. Some birthmarks fade over time, while some are permanent. These are usually harmless, but if there is a change in size or color, it is important to consult a doctor. Birthmarks can be genetic or due to abnormalities in the blood vessels and pigments present in the skin. It is important to adopt a positive attitude towards these marks in children so that their confidence remains intact.