Quite often, on the body or head of a newborn baby, in the first days after birth, you can see moles or specks. In some cases, they are inherited, but most often do not have a genetic origin. Any neoplasms on the skin, for example, red spots in a newborn on the back of the head, even those that may seem insignificant, require parental attention and a pediatrician's advice. And the doctor, based on the color, size, shape and texture of the spots, will be able to make a prediction about how this spot can develop and what treatment may be needed.
How does an angel kiss?
While still in the maternity hospital, attentive mothers find some spots on the skin of their beloved baby. It is there that one can and should get the first consultation of a pediatrician about the dangers of "birth spots" and whether the surgeon will need intervention.
Such marks on the body, face or nape of the babies are called "angel kisses" or "stork bites." Almost everyone knows this. But will they pass by themselves or will the baby subsequently pay for the “unfriendliness” of the children's postman? How to cure this disease, and is it a disease at all? Let's try to figure it all out.
Is Unna's nevus safe?
According to statistics, in 40-50% of cases there are slight redness or even red spots in the newborn on the back of the head. It looks like small numerous spots or one large one. A beautiful legend says that these are traces from the beak of a white stork, which brought the crumb to his parents. More pragmatic doctors call these spots telangiectasia, Unna's nevus or birth patches.
For the health of the baby, they, as a rule, do not represent absolutely any danger. They have features that characterize them: pink or red; a flat surface (meaning that the baby’s skin is pigmented, but the spots themselves are smooth, non-convex, it is impossible to determine them by touch); over time, the spots become paler and their size decreases. When the baby reaches the age of 1-2 years, the "kiss of an angel" may not be visible at all. The exception is when the child screams or cries a lot.
Attention to the back of the head!
Parents must remember that the red spots in the newborn's neck far from always are harmless "bites" of a beautiful white bird. They can be varieties of a variety of skin formations. Therefore, for every incomprehensible mark on the skin of a toddler, one must be very careful and consult a pediatrician.
From the table you can find out the main signs by which parents can distinguish “fearless” red spots on the back of the head from those that must be shown to the doctor.
The name of the formation on the skin of the baby | Color spots | Dimensions and shape | Development dynamics | Forecast |
"Stork's bite", or Unna's nevus, or birthmark | More often red | Usually non-convex, uneven edges | There is at birth, over time does not increase | Favorable, resolves with time |
Hematoma | Cyanotic or red | It is rare on the back of the head, usually accompanied by edema | Appears during childbirth, but only after a few days passes | Favorable |
Hemangioma | Crimson, Blue or Red | As a rule, this is a nodular formation that rises above the surface of the skin of the baby | Appears immediately after birth, tends to increase | Doctor consultation required |
Angiodysplasia | From light pink to crimson | Pretty large flat spots | Eat at birth, may darken and increase in size | Doctor consultation required |
Causes of Stains
“Stork bites” are usually located on the baby’s skin exactly in the place that was most squeezed during childbirth (the newborn’s head often suffers). Their appearance is due to the mechanical effect of the bones of the mother’s pelvis on the delicate skin of the peanut. The result is the deformation of the smallest skin capillaries, which subsequently leads to the formation of “bites”.
The fetus may experience oxygen starvation during childbirth, its vessels become more fragile than before, and most often are deformed. Some doctors associate the appearance of birthmarks in babies with a predisposition by inheritance.
What should parents do?
Usually, babies do not need treatment at all. The kid grows up, red and pink spots on the back of his head pale and gradually become almost invisible. In 50% of the crumbs, they pass by themselves by the age of three. The only thing that can worry parents is aesthetics. But red spots in the newborn on the back of the head can be removed with a laser.
If parents found red spots on the back of their baby, they should do the following:
1. Recall exactly when these "stork bites" appeared (the most harmless situation is when they are from the moment of birth).
2. Carefully inspect every spot: its size, whether it protrudes above the skin, whether the crumbs cause anxiety (for example, itches).
3. If none of the above is present, then you just need to pay attention to the pediatrician during a routine examination to confirm the harmless formations.
If the red or pink spots on the back of the head of the baby darken over time or occupy more and more area, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Hemangioma and hematoma: why do they occur?
Hemangiomas are the birthmarks of newborn babies. Baby peanuts are born with clean skin, without any spots. They appear in the first days or weeks after birth. Outwardly, hemangioma in newborns is similar to a small rash or one spot on the baby's skin. It can be small or occupy a fairly large area. If we look at the statistics, we can understand that in girls hemangioma occurs 4 times more often than in boys. Moreover, girls with fair skin are more likely to form such marks. There is another reason that the probability of the appearance of specks in the tots is increasing: early birth.
Some doctors believe that hemangioma in newborns appears due to the imbalance that occurs during the pregnancy of the mother in the same period when the fetus forms the circulatory system; due to the fact that labor was rather weak; due to the premature birth.
When the baby grows (in the first six months), these spots can increase in size, and then, most likely, disappear by themselves. Sometimes a red nape in a newborn persists for several years, after which everything passes completely.
Hematoma in newborns is one of the soft tissue injuries in which blood vessels rupture. Immediately it is bluish-violet, and later it becomes more pale, as if fading, - pale yellow or greenish. A cavity forms in the tissue where coagulated blood flows. The hematoma in newborns on the head is characterized by the accumulation of blood between the skin and the bones of the baby’s skull. Education itself is not scary. But if after 10 days the hematoma does not go away, this is an occasion to worry and consult a doctor.
How to treat nevus?
If there is an “angel kiss” on the body or head of a newborn baby, do not despair. The first thing parents can do is copy it onto a tracing-paper and track whether it is growing in size. We must try not to expose the birthmark to ultraviolet rays, because these are benign formations, but adverse factors can trigger the appearance of a malignant tumor. It is also necessary to observe that these spots are not injured on clothes and are not infected. You need to be constantly in touch with the pediatrician and contact him if you suddenly find some disturbing symptoms.
Their removal can be carried out by surgical intervention or by cryotherapy (a chemical compound will be introduced into the spot, causing a narrowing of the expanded cavity of the blood vessel). In some cases, you can use a laser.