Does your child have a birth mark?
I remember being pregnant and praying almost daily that my child would be born healthy and that their father and I could do our best to make them happy. I think we’ve done fairly well, my children are rarely ever sick and they seem to be pretty happy and well adjusted. One thing that neither of my children have is a notable birthmark. I wonder about them when I see other children with obvious marks on their face and neck and of course after owning a daycare, I saw plenty of birth marks on other parts of the body.
Luckily most birthmarks are generally harmless. I’ve never known anyone who had a birthmark that was dangerous to the person with the mark but apparently there are some problems that can be the result to a what is thought to be a simple birthmark. Most of the birthmarks are apparent at birth but there are a few that occur after birth. The cause of them is always guessed at by many people who call themselves believers of old wives tale. You know, things like it is a sign of a mother’s unfulfilled wishes, the result of something the mother ate during pregnancy, or the product of a traumatic birth. These are simply not true.
There are birthmarks that have a genetic component but most of the marks are just random. And believe it or not, having a birthmark back in the Middle Ages, you may have been accused of witchcraft but honestly, most marks don’t have serious or lasting effects.
Birthmarks are generally categorized as pigmented or vascular. Pigmented birthmarks are generally a result of an overgrowth of melanocytes which are the cells that regulate the pigment of the skin. Moles are included in the pigmented type.
igmented birthmarks are a result of an overgrowth of melanocytes, the cells that regulate the pigment in our skin. Pigmented birthmarks are very common, including marks such as café-au-lait spots, moles, and Mongolian blue spots.
There’s much more to know if you or your child has a birthmark and you can read about it here.
.
