Newborns frequently have a cephalohematoma, a blood collection under the skull bone, or a caput succedaneum, a red swelling on the scalp. Both conditions, which are related to the trauma of delivery, require a week or two to normalize. It is difficult to determine a permanent birthmark since most marks disappear by the child's second birthday, according to Nemours KidsHealth.
Causes
KidsHealth states that birthmarks, which cannot be prevented, are not linked to specific actions or trauma associated with pregnancy. Some marks are inherited, but most are not. Vascular birthmarks and macular stains, which are also popularly known as port-wine stains, stork bites, strawberry marks and even angel kisses, are linked to known causes related to blood flow. Improper formations of blood vessels, including an overabundance or a lack of vessels, create vascular marks. Stains are also a type of vascular mark.
Features
Birthmarks come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Most range in color from a pale tan to dark brown or black, but some are tinted in shades of blue, red and even purple. Marks feature both irregular and regular edges and borders. The contour of birthmarks may be either raised or flat. A child may have a variety of birthmarks in different shapes, colors and sizes. Many babies have at least one, although most fade by the first or second birthday, according to KidsHealth.
Significance
While most baby skin marks are part of the normal birthing process, newborn children with large numbers of birthmarks should visit a pediatric dermatologist to determine links to serious medical diseases, according to KidsHealth.
Hemangiomas, a type of vascular birthmark identified by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), have the potential to create the most significant damage. Only 30 percent of hemangiomas are visible at birth, with the remainder developing during the first few weeks of life. The Vascular Birthmarks Foundation reports that hemangiomas have the potential to form an ulcer or open sore on the baby. Most hemangiomas reduce in size after birth, but marks that grow or enlarge with blood must be examined immediately since growths may create skin malformation.
Time Frame
Newborns are born with a skin mottling, typified by patches of red and pale skin. The pattern is created by blood circulation immediately after birth. Small blood drops called petechiae also appear after delivery. Both conditions take a week or two to normalize. The top layers of skin are sloughed off during the first two weeks of life, a process that aids in identifying more permanent birthmarks.
Salmon skin patches, areas of red or pink skin, blue- and green-tinted skin (called Mongolian spots), and raised reddish marks (known as strawberry spots or hemangiomas) usually disappear by age 6.
Considerations
Some port-wine skin stains and cafe-au-lait spots do not disappear naturally as a child ages. These marks may be removed, but in most cases such birthmarks do not require future attention. Large port-wine stains are the exception. Stains and spots on the face or upper arms may create social problems that require cosmetic treatment with drugs or surgery. Large purple stains around the eyes and mouth may interfere with eating or vision, and a surgeon or dermatologist should be consulted to determine the options for removal.
