Symptoms of Birthmarks

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The port-wine stain (naevus flammeus) is flat and pale pink to deep red/ purple in colour. It is a collection of the smallest blood vessels (capillaries). They are present at birth and are permanent. It usually occurs on one side of the face. They occur in about 3 in 1,000 babies born, and are more common in girls. This condition is also associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome and Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome.

Stork-marks- These are flat pink areas, between the eyebrows or on the back of the neck, which become more noticeable when the baby cries. These fade quickly, usually over a few months.

Haemangioma- A haemangioma is a collection of tiny blood vessels that produces a bump in the skin. On the surface they are called a strawberry mark (capillary haemangioma) and deeper in the skin they are called cavernous haemangioma. Approximately 1 baby in 20 will have a haemangioma. The strawberry mark is a small, bright red, raised, lumpy soft area on the skin that appears during the first week or weeks of life. It grows to its full size during the first six months or a year and then usually starts to become paler and flatter. Often they disappear altogether by the age of five years. The most prominent type of birthmark is the cavernous haemangioma. This is raised, lumpy and purple/ blue in colour because the abnormal blood vessels are deeper in the skin. Some disappear by the time the child is five but some will require treatment.

Congenital melanocytic naevi (CMN) (Congenital moles) occurs in about 1 in 100 newborn babies. They are normally harmless overgrowths of the cells in the skin responsible for normal skin colour (melanocytes).They may be tiny- 1-2mm, Most are less than 2.5cm (1 inch) across. Larger ones are much rarer with giant CMN (greater than 20cm or 8 inches across) only being seen in one in about 10,000 newborns. CMNâ€™s tend to be brown in blond-haired people, and almost black in darker skinned individuals. CMNs are usually hairier than normal areas of skin, but this is very variable.