Angel kiss birthmark

Angel kiss birthmark are also called Nevus simplex, stroke bites (when on the neck) or Salmon patches these frequently occur at the center of the forehead of a person but can occur at back of the neck or else where. Angel kiss birthmark are typically light-pink patches seen in babies.

These type of birthmarks are caused by expansions that is dilations in tiny blood vessels called capillaries, and this dilation of vessels leads to pink colored marks any where in the body but when this salmon patch occurs on the face, it is typically  called an angel kiss, and when it is present on the back of the neck, it is called as a stork bite.

Angel kiss birthmark are the type of birthmarks which are very common, at least 7 in 10 infants are to be born with one or more of these patches.

Angel kiss birthmarks have a tendency  to fade when the kid reaches to the age of 1–2  however some parents have reported that, for years when their child cries, the angel kiss birthmark temporarily darkens and becomes visible once again and the stork bites present at the back tend to not go away at all but are mostly covered by the hair on the back of the head.

These  patches or birthmarks are always noncancerous while as the port wine ones are cancerous. However not so often it’s difficult to tell the difference between a salmon patch and a port-wine one.

 

Who’s at risk of developing angel kiss birthmark?

Angel  kiss birthmarks are very common about 70% babies will have one or more of them at the time of birth. However it’s believed that they are not genetic Or familial that is salmon patches do not run in families.

In past, the port-wine stains and salmon patches that is angel kiss marks were considered to be variations of the same kind of birthmark, however now it’s known that port-wine stains are truly some malformations of capillaries and probably never improve on their own, while salmon patches are very temporary dilatations of vessel’s called capillaries which typically improve on their own some time after birth.

 

What is the cause for angel kiss birthmark?

There is nothing in this world that a parent can do to prevent his or her child from getting a birthmark or only this type of birthmark, nor its something that can be diagnosed before the birth of a child. Birthmarks are a common harmless  skin discoloration and are not caused due to anything the mother did or ate during pregnancy as they used to suggest in old times and sometimes even know.

The vascular birthmarks, like the angel kiss birthmark, are caused by red blood vessels and these are not inherited and don’t cause any harm. These type of birthmarks are actually the blood vessels, more specifically the capillaries, showing through the baby’s normal skin. During the process of development, all the babies have these blood vessels present near to the skin. The capillaries causing the birth mark are simply the ones who  remained longer than needed for one reason or another reason near the skin .

Since blood vessels are responsible for causing  it, the birthmark can appear  darker when there is greater or more blood flow to the region, like when the baby is fussy or is upset however it does not mean that it will remain in the same color.

Another name one may hear from a doctor is macular stain, the macular stain is the one of the most common type of vascular birthmark and it appears in flat  red patches, and interestingly these  are also referred to as salmon spots

 

What are the signs and symptoms of angel kiss birthmark?

Angel kiss birthmark is diagnosed by its appearance as they its light pink or red, flat, irregularly shaped patche which appears on the baby’s face or the back of the neck. If on the face, they are commonly found between the eyebrows or on one of the eyelids called Salmon patches , if found on the back near neck called stroke bites these are never painful or itchy mostly are without any symptom.

This type of patches can be single or multiple as discussed already , and may be seen anywhere on the baby’s body, but some how it’s most commonly observed in one of the following locations:

• At the Back of neck
• Forehead
• Eyelids
• Between the eyebrows

When to Seek Medical Care for angel kiss birthmark?

The skin of the birthmark of angel kiss should behave just like the skin on the rest of the baby; if in case the skin bleeds, or develops cracks, or if the area becomes darker with time or more raised or displays any evident problems, contact the child’s doctor for further advice.

There is no medicine available or treatment necessary for a angel kiss birthmark . Salmon patches when present on the face, almost always go away on their own within a year or two mostly.

 

How to Diagnose angel kiss birthmark?

A pediatrician can  usually very easily diagnose this based on physical appearance and features without needing any further testing or intervention.

Parents or guardians who notice birthmarks on the body of their babies should have a general doctor look at them to ensure that the marks are not harmful.

Parents  should not try to diagnose the birthmarks  themselves , as the angel kiss birthmark  is so common  any pediatrician or we can say child specialist should be able to diagnose it right away. Parents or guardians who notice birthmarks on the body of their babies should have a general doctor look at them to ensure that the marks are not harmful. Parents  should not try to diagnose the birthmarks  themselves , as the angel kiss birthmark  is so common  any pediatrician or we can say child specialist should be able to diagnose it right away

Differential diagnosis

There are several other skin conditions which can mimic these birthmarks and appear very similar to it. But some specific features can help the pediatricians tell different conditions apart.

• Nevus flammeus: mostly known as “port-wine stain”, is another infantile skin condition caused due to a vascular malformation. It is much less common than nevus simplex as it affects around 0.3% of newborns only. The lesion is mostly red in color and can appear in different parts of the body. Nevus flammeus  tends to affect a single side of the body either right or left , and becomes thicker and darker with time as the baby grows. So it’s easily differentiable from angel kiss birthmark.
• Infantile proliferative haemangioma: they are the vascular tumors that are seen in around 10% of babies by the time they are 1 year and more commonly found in girls however  can affect boys as well. This lesion typically starts as a pinkish-red patch, however then it starts growing outwards , and raises above the skin. Same as  nevus simplex, haemangiomas also regress as the baby grows with time in most cases, but they may leave a  small harmless mark.

 

What is the Treatment for angel kiss birthmark?

These birthmarks or patches are harmless and almost always disappear by the time the child becomes a toddler or we can say reaches age of 1 without causing any problems. In very few cases rarely when the rash persists in a child even after crossing toddler age there are some treatment options available.

Even though the birthmark  by itself is not harmful, some parents might be having cosmetic concerns and then look for treatment, especially in case the rash is located on the exposed skin areas like the forehead which is visible area. The doctors who can help in this area are dermatologists, they can pulsed dye laser to shrink down the dilated vessels which cause this birthmark , laser mostly makes them disappear.

 

Why Is It Called An Angel Kiss birthmark?

There are many interpretations out there of the different meanings of birthmarks. Many explain them as result  of the mother’s cravings or unfulfilled wishes or desires during pregnancy like a craving for strawberries would produce a reddish  birthmark on the body of baby.

Regardless of any translation, they all filter back or we can say seem to filter to what the mother did or did not do during the pregnancy, with the exception of the angel kiss. It is said and believed in some countries and in cultures that this birthmark received the name because an angel kissed the baby either before it was born or as it was born then . Isn’t it a wonderful thought!

 

Bottom-line

Angel kiss birthmark are nothing serious to be concerned or to panic about  these are pink colored patches may look prominent at first, however they most often fade in time after just a year and are harmless , almost never require any treatment just fade on there own.