A non-hereditary blemish present on the skin at time of birth or developed soon afterwards, is called a birthmark. Mostly harmless, birthmarks can be purely cosmetic and may tend to fade off with age or shrink over time, although some can be signs of a greater problem.

Contrary to traditional beliefs, birthmarks are not ‘stains’ caused by something the mother did or ate during pregnancy. Also, stress or traumatic emotional experiences during pregnancy do not lead to birthmarks.

However, though the exact cause behind birthmarks is still not known, scientifically, birthmarks are believed to be a result of an overgrown blood vessels or pigmented (color) cells.

Types of Birthmarks
Broadly, birthmarks can be differentiated into two categories on the basis of their causes:

• Vascular (blood vessel) birthmarks: These are caused by an over abundance or tangling of blood vessels. Vascular birthmarks can be further classified into Macular stains, Hemangiomas and Port-wine stains.

• Pigmented birthmarks: Commonly referred to as ‘light tan spots’, these are caused by an overgrowth of the cells that create pigment in skin. Pigmented birthmarks can take forms of Café-au-lait spots, Mongolian spots or Moles.

When to Call the doctor:

While mostly harmless, birthmarks seldom require any monitoring or treatment. However, watch out for these warning signs:

• Birthmarks located on the lower spine.

• Sudden and rapid change in the size, color or texture of the birthmark.

• Appearance of satellite lesions : These are small lesions that appear away from the main site of the birthmark.

• Any change like scaling, erosions, ulcerations and indurations within the mark.

• Any notching and irregularity of the borders and edges of the mark.

• If the birthmark ever bleeds, hurts, itches, or becomes infected.