Birthmarks

Birthmarks are patches of coloured skin on or under a newborn baby's skin. They are typically formed before birth. Sometimes these marks appear soon after the baby is born, but most are obvious at birth. In some cases, the birthmarks fade or disappear altogether as the child gets older, but others stay the same or actually get bigger, darker, or thicker. In almost all cases, birthmarks are both harmless and painless, but they can be a source of difficulty for individuals with facial birthmarks. You should have your baby's birthmarks checked by your doctor just to be sure.

Birthmarks come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colours. The colour, for example, can range from blue or blue-grey, brown, tan, black, pink, white, red, or purple. Many birthmarks are soft, raised swellings on the skin while others are smooth; they are known as strawberry naevi or infantile haemangiomas; others are smooth.

Click the images below to see examples of a cafe au lait macule, a congenital mole, a hemangioma, and a port wine stain.