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Birthmarks
Anymarkthatispresentontheskinatbirth,orthatdevelopssoonafterwards,iscalleda birthmark.Theyareverycommonmostchildrenhaveamarkofsomesort.Mostareharmless andsomegoawayasthechildgrows.Occasionally,abirthmarkmaybeasignofotherproblems ordiseases.Checkwithyourdoctorifyouarenotsure,especiallyifthemarkchanges unexpectedly. The cause is unknown Nooneknowswhysomechildrenhavebirthmarksandothersdonot.Theyarecertainlynotcaused bysuchthingsasthemotherseeingsomethingstrangeorhavingafrightduringpregnancy,ashas beensuggestedbysome.Thetendencytohavebirthmarksmaybeinherited;somemarksmaybe similartomarksonotherfamilymembers,butmostarenot.Somearecausedbyanovergrowthof finebloodvesselsorofpigment(colour)cells. Different types of birthmarks Therearevariousdifferenttypesofbirthmarksincluding: Storkbitemark Mongolianbluespots Strawberrymark Cafaulaitspots Congenitalmelanocyticnaevus.

Ima ge des crip

Stork bite mark Othernamesforstorkbitemarkincludesalmonpatchortelangiectaticnaevus.Thetypical characteristicsinclude: Pink,flatandirregularshapedmarks. Theskinisnotthickenedandyoucannotfeelanydifferencewhenyoutouchthemark. Theyareusuallyonthebackoftheneck,eyelids,foreheadand,sometimes,onthetoplip. Nearlyhalfofallbabieshaveastorkbitemark. Themarksusuallydisappearby12monthsofage,ifnotearlier. Themarkatthebackoftheneckmaystayforlonger,butitisusuallycoveredbyhairand outofsight.

Mongolian blue spots ThetypicalcharacteristicsofMongolianbluespotsinclude: Bluish,irregularflatpatches. Theyaremainlyfoundonthebackandbottom,althoughanyareacanbeaffected. Thereisnothickeningorchangetothefeeloftheskin. Theyaremorecommoninbabiesfromethnicgroupsthathavedarkerskincolouring,such asthosewithblackhairandoliveordarkerskin. Theyareharmlessandbecomelessobviousasthechildgrows. Theycanbeconfusedwithbruises.

Strawberry mark Anothernameforstrawberrymarkiscapillaryhaemangioma.Thetypicalcharacteristicsinclude: Red,raisedandlumpyareas. Theyusuallyappearataroundonetofourweeksofage,thengetbiggersometimesquite quicklyforafewmonths.

Birthmarks

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Theystopgrowingbetweensixand12monthsofage,thengraduallydisappearoverthe nextfewyears. Theskinofthebirthmarkisasstrongasanyotherskin.Itmightrarelybleedifknocked hardorscratched,ordevelopanulceronthesurfaceandneedtobetreated. Sometimesthestrawberrymarkmaygrowontheface,neartheeye.Ifitblocksvisionitis usuallytreatedsothatthechilddevelopsgoodbinocularvision.Itwillstillgoawayif untreated.

Itisnotpossibletopredictexactlywhatwillhappentoastrawberrybirthmark,butsomewillbe gonebytheageoftwoyears,about60percentbyfiveyears,and90to95percentbynine years.Itisbesttoallowthemtogoawaybythemselves,astherewillbelittleornoscarleft. Caf au lait spots Thetypicalcharacteristicsinclude: Flat,roughlyoval-shapedlightbrown(milkcoffeecoloured)spots. Maybepresentatbirthorappearinearlychildhood. Manychildrenhaveoneortwoofthesetheyarenotsignsofahealthproblem.

Ifyourchildhasmorethanthreeorfourspots,checkwithyourdoctorastheycansometimes indicateararedisease,suchasneurofibromatosis. Congenital melanocytic naevus Thetypicalcharacteristicsinclude: Smallmolesandfreckles. Maybeseenonbabies,butmoreoftentheydevelopinchildhood. Somearelargedarkbrown,blueorblackbirthmarksthatsometimesgrowdarkhairs. Someareraisedandlumpy,whileothersareflatandirregularinshape.

Withsomebirthmarksusuallynotthosethathavehairgrowingonthemtherecanbeariskof cancerdevelopinglaterinlife.Asignthatcancermaybedevelopingincludechangesoftheskinon oraroundthemark. Port wine stain Thetypicalcharacteristicsinclude: Flat,largeareasofskinthataredarker(pinkorpurplishcolour)thantheskinaround them. Theyareusuallypresentfrombirthandthecolourgetsdarker(frompalepinktodeepredpurple)asthechildgrows. Theymaythickenandbecomelumpier. Themarksareoftenontheface,sometimesjustononeside.Theymayhaveaclearedge alongthemiddleoftheface,buttheycanappearanywhereonthebody.

Treatment options Mostbirthmarksareharmlessandsomefade,withtime,withouttreatment.Inothercases, treatmentoptionsmayinclude: Strawberry marksometimesastrawberrybirthmarkwillgrowoveraneyeormayblock onesideofthenose.Inthesecases,theycanbetreatedoftenwithlasertreatment. Congenital melanocytic naevussometimesthesewillneedtoberemovedbecause theymaybeacancerriskorbecausethechildfindsthemarkdistressing.Othersthatstart togrow,oftenduringtheteenageyears,needtobecarefullywatched.Ifthemark changes,getitcheckedbyyourdoctor. Port wine stain birthmarksthesedontgoawaybythemselves.Itisbesttohave expertadviceabouttreatmentearly,becausetheirappearancecanaffectachildsfeelings aboutthemselves.Lasertherapyusuallygivesgoodresults.

Symptoms of more serious problems Veryoccasionally,portwinestainbirthmarksmayindicatethepresenceofarareunderlying disorder,including:

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Sturge-Weber syndromesymptomsincludeaportwinestainbirthmarkontheupper eyelidandforehead,andabnormalitiesofthebrain(andsometimesofaneye). Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndromesymptomsincludeaportwinestainbirthmark ontheleg(usually).Thebones,musclesandothertissuenearthebirthmarkgrowlarger thantheothernormallimb.

Where to get help Yourdoctor Paediatrician Dermatologist.

Things to remember

Anymarkthatispresentontheskinatbirth,orthatdevelopssoonafterwards,iscalleda birthmark. Birthmarksareverycommonmostchildrenhaveamarkofsomesort. Occasionally,abirthmarkmaybeasignofotherproblemsordiseases.

This page has been produced in consultation with, and approved by:

AustralasianCollegeofDermatologists

Copyight 1999/2009StateofVictoria.ReproducedfromtheBetterHealthChannel(www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au)at nocostwithpermissionoftheVictorianMinisterforHealth.Unauthorisedreproductionandotherusescomprisedinthe copyrightareprohibitedwithoutpermission. ThisBetterHealthChannelfactsheethaspassedthrougharigorousapprovalprocess.Forthelatestupdatesandmore informationvisitwww.betterhealth.vic.gov.au.

Birthmarks

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