A stork bite is found in about every second newborn. It is a special form of the fire mallow (Naevus flammeus). The red, irregular and benign skin patch sits mainly on the neck or face. For most children, he disappears on his own in the first years of life. Read all important information about the stork bite here.
Stork bite: description
The stork bite (Naevus unna, Unna-Politzer-Naevus) is one of the pots of fire. Immediately after birth, the benign lesion, which can reach a size of about five millimeters to ten centimeters, can be recognized as a red, irregular, but clearly defined spot. Most of the time, the fire potion sits in the neck of newborns. The idea that the stork grabs the baby’s neck has popularly earned him the name “Storchenbiss”. Occasionally, this special form of Feuermals occurs in other places in the head area (such as forehead, eye or nose root) and is then called also like “angel kiss”.
Stork bite: Symptoms
A stork bite is completely harmless and does not cause any discomfort. If anything, it’s just a cosmetic problem.
Stork bite: causes and risk factors
The redness is caused by dilated capillary blood vessels under the skin. Actually, the functional vasodilation is based on a developmental delay: At the affected skin site, the supply of blood vessels with nerves that regulate the diameter of the vessel is not yet complete. The exact cause of the stork bite is unclear. He is not inherited and not favored by external factors during pregnancy.
Stork bite: examinations and diagnosis
A stork bite is noticeable in newborns immediately and is discovered at the latest at the first check-up. The blood can be emphasized by light pressure, whereby the redness disappears briefly.
Storchenbiss or angel kiss are so-called medial Feuermale. This means they are in the middle of the body. They are to be distinguished from the lateral Feuermalen, which are distributed asymmetrically. These usually increase with body growth and may indicate a malformation of deeper vessels. If the spot is located on the coccyx or close to the eyes and longitudinally on the arm or leg, the pediatrician must determine in further examinations whether another illness is present (Hippel-Lindau-Czermak, Sturge-Weber-Krabbe syndrome). For example, the following questions should be answered:
- Where is the stain?
- How big is the fire potion?
- Can the blood be highlighted?
- Does the fire pot grow?
- Does it fade over time or does it get darker?
- Are there any other malformations?
- Can other vascular malformations be ruled out?
Stork bite: treatment
A treatment (ie removal) is usually not necessary because stork bites are usually harmless and disappear by themselves. If this is not the case, or if the stork bite is very large and / or cosmetically disturbing, the dermatologist can soil it with electric needles or a laser. However, the treatment sometimes does not lead to the desired success in large fire pots.
Alternatively, cosmetically disturbing firecracker in adolescents or adults can be covered with medicated make-up.
Stork bite: Disease course and prognosis
In most children, vascular dilation gradually decreases within the first few years and the stain fades. If other malformations are excluded, it is therefore necessary to wait and see. Especially in the face, the spots form well back. A stork bite in the neck can persist, but usually it disappears under the hair. Come on Storchenbiss not back in the face and is cosmetically disturbing, dermatologists can erode with the help of a laser treatment veins and reduce the redness.