Does anyone know what this mark is on my baby?

[Francescarae]

ive Just noticed this mark that has come up on the back of baby’s head, she’s 11 weeks old, I’m really worried about it, anyone had anything similar? Thanks

It looks like a haemangioma/strawberry birth mark. My ds has one and it was a few weeks after he was born it appeared and was very tiny to start with. Book in with your doctor about it so they can monitor it/decide if treatment is needed. It will grow bigger but try not to get upset about it, it doesn't hurt them.

Thank you so much for your reply, I’m so worried about it and can’t get a doctors appointment until next week, was your little ones okay? X

My first thought was a strawberry birthmark too. My DC has one that we first noticed a few days after they were born, it grew rapidly to begin with and got much darker and more raised, then just suddenly stopped growing. DC is now almost 3 and the birth mark is still there but it has become more dull in colour and flattened out a bit.

My DS had a much larger birthmark on his back as a newborn, I panicked and went to the dr but they assured me it wasn’t anything to worry about and that over time it would fade - he’s now 5 and it’s still big but hardly noticeable. They said by the time he’s 10 it should fade away completely and in the meantime just keep it out of the sun. Enjoy your lovely baby ( FYI you will never stop worrying!) xx

It looks like a hemangioma. Not painful, doesn’t require treatment and will eventually go away on its own

@Francescarae for my ds it was just below his eyebrow so he did have treatment for it, it got quite big and the first treatment (a topical ointment) may have slowed growth but didn't start shrinking it so we moved onto a propranolol treatment which was effective. It shrunk over 6-8 months and we are now waiting for an operation to remove the loose skin left over.
Most don't require treatment, my ds was treated because of restricted vision and pressure on the eyeball, others are treated if they are at risk of being knocked repeatedly. Thankfully ds was never bothered by it, they don't hurt and he never scratched it or anything that made it bleed.

It is hard watching them grow so quickly, and seeing other people stare, but even without treatment they usually go before they are 5. They don't know what makes some babies get them and it's nothing you have done (which I struggled with and felt so guilty that it was my fault somehow).
I hope your appointment goes well and is reassuring for you.

My dd has one on her stomach and had another one on her shoulder. I was told they get bigger and then start to fade around 2 years old. The on on her shoulder has gone and the tummy one is faded but still there...it's a strawberry birth mark, nothing to worry about though xx

That does look like a birth mark. DS had two, one was visible just after birth, looked like a tiny scratch then developed to the size, shape and colour of a small strawberry, then one appeared from about 3wks old between his eyebrows.

Both grew, but the facial one was rapid. GP referred us to paediatrics dermatology and at 4 months old (size and shape of an egg by this point) propranolol treatment started. It was very effective.

The propranolol was only offered as, like @Burgerqueenbee it was beginning to restrict vision. If it had just been the other birth mark and not affecting his face in such a way, we would have watched and waited.

But @Francescarae go to see your GP and they can discuss if any treatment is needed. It won't need an urgent appointment, but definitely good to talk through.

Birth marks are incredibly common, just the majority aren't somewhere visible. DD has a small "story bite" mark on the back of her head that is completely hidden by her hair.

Yes, it is a haemengioma (strawberry birthmark).

DD had one on her back. It had all but gone by the time she was two years old. It developed when she was about three weeks old.

My daughter had several grow in her first few weeks, including on her face and head. She was referred for ultra sound, just so they could look for a more in problematic positions internally (there weren’t any).

They faded and disappeared at different rates, the first went within a year or two; the last has gone in the last year, so at 8 years old.

Unless any appear near her eyes I wouldn’t rush to a doctor. Just mention it at her next check up.

Edited for typo.