<translating>Blood vessels, stork bites, and port-wine stains in babies</translating>
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If you notice a red spot on your baby after birth, the culprit is often quickly identified: it was the stork! But is this accusation correct, or is there more behind the skin change? Here you will learn how to distinguish between a port-wine stain, a stork bite, and a hemangioma, and whether these small marks need to be treated.
Port-wine stain (Naevus flammeus)
Often, behind the red spots, there is a harmless birthmark. What appears after birth as hello red, small spot shows, sometimes barely visible, expands during the first years of life with growth and increasingly turns dark red. Typical for the birthmark are a irregular shape and clear boundaries . Causes of port-wine stains are missing nerve fibers at the affected skin area. As a result, the blood vessels are permanently dilated and shine through the skin. In these body regions, the port-wine stain appears. Naevus flammeus often on:
Face
Neck
Sacrum area
Arms and legs (less common)
Fire marks usually remain visible for a lifetime. Despite this noticeable feature, your baby is beautiful. However, if they begin to perceive the mark as a flaw with increasing age, laser therapy or initially concealing it with makeup can help.
Do I need to see a doctor with my baby because of a birthmark?
In most cases, port-wine stains are completely harmless. However, it is always better to have a professional examine the affected skin area — most of the red spots tend to fade during the first U-examinations determined. During the examination by the pediatrician, it can be clarified whether the birthmark might possibly be a sign of a hemangioma ( Hemangioma ) is. Additionally, birthmarks can, in rare cases, indicate certain conditions such as Von Hippel-Lindau-Czermak syndrome or Sturge-Weber-Krabbe syndrome. Therefore, your baby should be examined more closely if:
Has multiple port-wine stains that are asymmetrically distributed and increase in size.
Finding a port-wine stain on the coccyx.
There is a birthmark near the eye.
The mole grows in length along the arm or leg.
Stork Bite
A special form of the fire mark is the stork bite: this red, irregular skin patch can be between five millimeters and ten centimeters tall. It is found on many babies' necks — thus the idea has become established that this skin change was caused by the stork's beak when bringing the baby. But the stork is not always to blame; sometimes the benign spot – at least figuratively – also heavenly reasons. :) If you find a red spot on the forehead, between the eyes, or at the bridge of the nose, your baby has apparently received a so-called "angel's kiss." You don't need to worry about these skin changes. A stork bite or angel's kiss is harmless and usually disappears over time, as it is simply due to a delay in the development of blood vessels.
Blood capillaries (Infantile Hemangioma)
Almost five percent of all infants develop a so-called Infantile hemangioma - also known as strawberry spot. Preterm infants are significantly more often affected by these benign vascular tumors affected, however, the exact reason why blood blisters form is not yet known. You can often see this skin change in your baby within the first days and weeks of life. Can you think of anything? reddish or bluish spot or a birthmark-like change in the eye, a hemangioma in the early stage could be the cause. They often occur on the head or neck area, but can also develop on the rest of the body. During the first year of life, hemangiomas show the greatest growth tendency - among other things, a develops then. intensely reddened nodule on the surface of the skin. Also a hellroter bis blau-roter, flacher Knoten , which penetrates into deeper skin layers, can occur. This is followed by the stagnation phase of growth, which lasts for varying durations from child to child. Smaller infantile hemangiomas Often disappear again during the regression phase up to the ninth year of life. With larger hemangiomas, scars, excess tissue, or color changes of the skin may remain.
Does the hemangioma need to be removed from my baby?
If a hemangioma is diagnosed in your little explorer, the next steps depend entirely on its size: For a small one infantile hemangioma is sufficient regular check-up mostly complete. However, if the hemangioma grows significantly, it often requires treatment to prevent restrictions for your baby. Early treatment is especially important when the hemangioma is Problem areas where it grows on the eyes, lips, or nose area, on the neck or armpits. Depending on the location of the hemangioma, it can then be treated surgically or with medication. Cryo- or laser therapy can also be an option. Your pediatrician will inform you about the different methods.
Any skin change you notice on your baby should be checked by a doctor for safety reasons. Keep an eye on the skin changes and inform the pediatrician if there is rapid growth or any abnormalities. Most red spots on the skin are completely harmless and make your baby even more special. :)