Your newborn's birthmarks

Birthmarks are areas of skin that are present at birth or develop later. Some are permanent and some fade as a child grows.

They can range from blue-gray to brown to red in color. A common birthmark is called a salmon patch. This is a pink to red patch at the back of a newborn's neck, on the eyelids or forehead, or between the baby's eyes.

Salmon patch birthmarks are sometimes nicknamed stork bites or angel kisses. These marks tend to get brighter during crying.

Some marks disappear in a few months, while others fade over a few years or persist. Marks at the back of the neck usually last longer than marks on the face.

Babies of African or Asian ethnicity may be born with birthmarks that are flat, blue-green or blue-gray marks typically found on the lower back or buttocks. Sometimes these marks are mistaken for bruises. But, in general, this type of mark fades during early childhood.