Stork bite

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Stork bite

Stork bite

Definition:

Stork bites are common vascular (blood vessel) lesions of the newborn. They consist of one or more pale red patches, most often seen in the midline on the forehead, eyelids, tip of the nose, upper lip, and at the hairline on the back of the neck.

Alternative Names:

Salmon patch; Nevus simplex

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Stork bites (also called salmon patches) occur in about one third of all newborn infants. They are flat, pink lesions with irregular borders, and they may become darker when the child cries or room temperature changes.

They fade with pressure, but when the pressure is removed, the reddish appearance returns. Stork bites clear on their own over a period of months and are gone by 18 months -- except for those on the back of the neck. These may persist for years, but are generally covered by hair.

Review Date: 7/22/2005
Reviewed By: Jonathan Kantor, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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