Why Do People Have Birthmarks?

Why do people have birthmarks? Birthmarks, as the name suggests, are patches on the skin that are present since the day a baby is born. These irregularities on the skin are usually benign and fade over time. For first time parents it might be a little alarming to see marks cover quite a patch of skin. A pediatrician can usually tell if they are typical birthmarks that newborns have.

Some scientists say that the birthmarks found on babies are skin cells that haven’t traveled to the places that they are supposed to be during a baby’s development, so they end up in one place. Perhaps this explains why some birthmarks fade. They fade because the body continues to develop and the errant cells are dispersed. Parents need to watch for birthmarks that do not fade since they could be symptoms of a medical disorder which will require immediate attention.

Birthmarks have folklore attached to them. The most popular of these is that a pregnant mother was not able to acquire a particular food that she was craving for. The opposite is true in some cultures, which state that what a mother ate most is what influenced the birthmarks. There are also whimsical but self-explanatory reasons for some birthmarks such as the stork bite which alludes to the popular tale of the stork delivery service.

Why do people have birthmarks on different parts of their body? This can also be connected to the development of the baby while inside the womb. At present, scientists cannot point out the specific cause of the development of a birthmark so they cannot recommend any preventive measures other than for the parents to stay healthy so that the baby will have the least chance of having abnormalities. It can be unfortunate if a child has to grow up with a birthmark, especially if it’s located on a prominent part of his or her body. The child would no doubt be subjected to a lot of teasing and bullying for being different.

It’s even sadder if the birthmark is a symptom of a neurological disorder. A doctor will order tests to figure out the severity of the condition of the child. Some birthmarks can be removed through surgery or laser treatment but it still depends on the kind of birthmark. There are birthmarks that can be removed through surgery such as tumor-like birthmarks. Colored patches could be treated with lasers but again, only the specialist can determine which treatment is possible.

There are no creams that can really remove birthmarks and hopefully your baby is fortunate and they only have the ones that will fade over time. And since one cannot say if a child will be born with a birthmark or not, it would be prudent for the mom to stay healthy during pregnancy. If the child is born with a permanent birthmark, the best thing is to give him or her enough love and care so that their self worth and self-esteem are not diminished in any way.

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