Many newborns have bumps or splotches that appear at birth or shortly after. These birthmarks come in a variety of sizes and shapes: They can be flat or raised; have regular or irregular borders; and come in shades of red, pink, purple, gray, tan, or brown. They’re mainly harmless and may shrink or even disappear over time.

A completely random occurrence, birthmarks aren’t influenced by anything done or eaten during pregnancy. There are two main types: Pigmented birthmarks are caused by an overgrowth of the cells that produce pigment in the skin. The most common kind is a café au lait, or tan-colored, spot. Others include Mongolian spots, which are bluish gray patches that often appear on the lower back or buttocks; and moles, which should be closely monitored, as changes in their shape or appearance may indicate the skin cancer called melanoma.

The other kind of birthmark is vascular, and they appear when there is a tangle or overgrowth of blood vessels. About 10 percent of all infants have a vascular mark. One of the most common is a macular stain, which is also known as a stork bite, angel kiss, or salmon patch. Red or pale pink in color, these often fade during the first 2 years of life. Hemangiomas, or strawberry marks, are slightly raised and bright red or even blue. They appear on the head or neck and usually disappear when a child is between 5 and 9 years old. Finally, there are port-wine stains, named after the dark red color they eventually turn. These patches of malformed blood vessels grow and darken with time. Because they’re permanent, many people opt to undergo laser therapy to remove them.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. Famous birthmarks include the port-wine stain on former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev’s (1931–) forehead and the mole near supermodel Cindy Crawford’s (1966–) mouth.
  2. Large moles that children are born with are more likely than smaller ones to develop into melanoma later in life.