Angiomas on the baby's skin

Angiomas are colored spots, usually red, that appear on the baby's skin at birth or a little later. It is normal for them to disappear on their own, as the child grows they tend to disappear, but they can also be treated with drugs, with laser or with surgery, in some cases. There are several types

Angiomas are colored spots, usually red, that appear on the baby's skin at birth or a little later. It is normal for them to disappear on their own, as the child grows they tend to disappear, but they can also be treated with drugs, with laser or with surgery, in some cases.

There are several types of angiomas that can affect the newborn or the baby. Generally, they are benign brands. If they are small and lonely they do not usually give problems, except for the aesthetic inconvenience, and they rarely ulcerate or bleed. However, occasionally, these vascular malformations can be located in areas that compress other organs or important structures such as the respiratory tract or the eye area.

Types of angiomas in newborns and babies

1. Stork marks, angel kiss or salmon spot.
Newborns with these salmon-colored spots, also known as stork marks or angel kiss, usually have them on their faces. They appear on the eyelids, on the forehead (kiss of the angel), on the lips, between the eyebrows and on the nape of the neck. Before, there was the popular belief of associating them with cravings of the pregnant woman not satisfied, but now we know that they are flat angiomas and that they usually disappear in a few months without major problem. The only ones that do not disappear are salmon-colored spots on the nape of the neck, but when they are covered by hair, they are not visible.

2. Flat angiomas or vascular malformations.
They are visible from birth. The most extensive flat angiomas are vascular malformations, which need follow-up in consultation because drugs or laser treatments are necessary to eliminate them. They do not usually grow, but they will not disappear only with the passage of time.

3. Strawberry angiomas.
Vascular malformations are elevated or bulging. Because of their shape, they remember this fruit. They may be present and visible at the time of birth, but they usually appear a few weeks later, between the second and third weeks of life. They are more frequent on the face and upper limbs. Girls are more predisposed to suffer them, but usually do not give problems except the aesthetic one. Although at the beginning they grow, they usually disappear very slowly. Two years after the baby's life, most have disappeared or, at least, have begun their regression in the central area. In complicated cases, a laser treatment, corticosteroids and surgery can be performed.

4. Mongolian stain or slate stain.
The Mongolian spot has a bluish color, and is usually located in the lower back or buttocks. It is more common in children with dark skin and usually disappears in a few months. It has nothing to do with Down's syndrome, but with the inhabitants of Mongolia, who are the ones who present these spots more frequently.

Marisol Nuevo.