Stork bite

Alternative names:

salmon patch

Definition:

Common lesions of the newborn consisting of one or more pale red patch(es) 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.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Stork bites (also called salmon patches) may occur in up to half of all newborn infants. They are flat, pink lesions with irregular borders and may become darker with crying or room temperature changes. They fade with pressure, but when the pressure is removed the reddish appearance returns. Stork bites clear up spontaneously over a period of months and are universally gone by 18 months, with the exception of those on the back of the neck. These may persist for years but are generally covered by hair.