A stork bite is a flat, pink or red birthmark made of stretched tiny blood vessels that many babies are born with, and it is usually harmless and often fades on its own.
You are studying every inch of your new baby and spot a pink patch on the back of the neck, or a blush between the eyebrows that turns bright red during a cry. A stork bite is one of the first things new parents ask about, and the answer is usually reassuring.
Below: what it is, how it looks on different skin tones, where it appears, why it changes color, when it fades and how it differs from other red birthmarks. Every number is tied to a named medical source, and where sources disagree, we show both.
Key Takeaways
A stork bite (nevus simplex, salmon patch, angel kiss) is a flat pink or red birthmark made of stretched capillaries.
It often darkens with crying, straining or warmth and lightens when pressed gently.
Facial marks usually fade in the toddler years. Marks on the back of the neck may stay.
It usually needs no treatment. Laser treatment is an option for marks that persist.
Have every birthmark checked at a well-baby visit, and call sooner if a mark grows, becomes raised or changes color.
Table of Contents
What Is a Stork Bite?
Quick Answer
A stork bite is a flat, pink or red birthmark that many babies are born with. Doctors call it nevus simplex; it is also called a salmon patch or angel kiss. It comes from stretched tiny blood vessels (capillaries) showing through thin newborn skin. It does not hurt and usually needs no treatment. Facial marks usually fade in the toddler years; marks on the back of the neck may stay.
The name depends on location. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says these patches are often called stork bites on the back of the neck and angel kisses between the eyebrows. MedlinePlus, from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, describes them as common, most often temporary and cosmetic only.
Your baby’s doctor will look at the mark at early visits, along with other newborn skin changes such as baby acne and jaundice.
What It Looks Like on Different Skin Tones
Cleveland Clinic describes the patch as flat, pink to reddish-purple, different from your baby’s skin tone, with feathery or undefined borders. On darker skin tones, the Society for Pediatric Dermatology notes that nevus simplex might not be as easy to see, but it still looks pink or red.
Two features help. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says the color fades when you press gently, and the patch becomes more noticeable when a baby cries or overheats. Cleveland Clinic adds that it can be hard to tell from a port wine stain early on, so let your pediatrician name the mark.
Where These Birthmarks Appear
MedlinePlus lists the forehead, eyelids, nose, upper lip and back of the neck. The AAP adds the top of the head, under the nose and the lower back.
Location
Common nickname
How it tends to fade
Back of the neck (nape)
Stork bite
Fades least reliably and may stay
Between the eyebrows, forehead
Angel kiss
Usually fades in the toddler years
Eyelids
Angel kiss
Clear by about age 1 (Seattle Children’s)
Nose and upper lip
Salmon patch
Bridge of the nose may take a few more years (Seattle Children’s)
Scalp and lower back
Salmon patch
Less common; scalp marks may not fade completely
Where salmon patches appear, by location.
Cleveland Clinic notes that a provider may look more closely at a lower back mark that comes with other concerning signs.
Why It Gets Darker With Crying or Temperature Changes
The color follows blood flow. Lurie Children’s Hospital explains that the patch darkens when more blood flows to the area: when a child is crying, holding their breath, straining with a bowel movement or becoming warm. MedlinePlus likewise says it may get darker when the child cries or the temperature changes.
So a patch that looks vivid during the evening fussy period and pale during a nap is behaving as described. If warmth is the trigger, check that your baby is not overdressed (see dressing a baby for sleep and room temperature for sleep). A color change that does not settle is one for the pediatrician.
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MedlinePlus says the mark is due to a stretching (dilation) of certain blood vessels. Cleveland Clinic explains that the vessels dilate during fetal development and show through thin skin. None of these sources links it to anything a parent did during pregnancy, and MedlinePlus says there is no known prevention.
Estimates of how common they are vary: about one third of newborns (MedlinePlus), 30% to 40% (Lurie Children’s), more than 50% (Seattle Children’s Hospital) and up to 80% (AAP). By any count, this is one of the most common birthmarks.
When Do They Fade? Timelines by Location
Location matters most. The sources differ a little, so here they are side by side.
Source
Face
Back of the neck
MedlinePlus
Gone completely in about 18 months
Usually do not go away
Society for Pediatric Dermatology
Usually by 12 to 18 months
May not fade completely
American Academy of Dermatology
Between ages 1 and 3
May fade but not disappear
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Eyelids by age 1; bridge of the nose a few years more
Most clear; about 25% last into adulthood
Fading timelines by location, as stated by each source.
Lurie Children’s sums it up across all locations: 95% fade within the first two years. Cleveland Clinic says it might take a year or two, and that some last into adulthood. Fading is gradual, so a photo in the same light every month or two is the easiest way to track it.
Stork Bite vs Port Wine Stain vs Infantile Hemangioma
These three red birthmarks look alike in the newborn weeks but behave very differently over time.
Feature
Stork bite
Port wine stain
Infantile hemangioma
Appears
At birth
At birth
Usually in the first few weeks of life
Look
Flat, pink to red, feathery edges
Flat at first; deeper red or purple, usually larger
Bright red and raised, or bluish when deeper
Location
Midline of the face, back of the neck
Most often the head and neck
Anywhere; often the head or neck
Over time
Does not grow or thicken
Grows with the child; can darken and thicken
Grows fast for weeks to months, then slowly shrinks
Goes away?
Face: usually. Neck: may stay
No, not without treatment
Yes; about 90% are gone by age 10 (AAD)
How common
One third to 80% of newborns
About 3 in 1,000 children (AAP)
Up to 5% of infants (AAP)
Stork bite vs port wine stain vs infantile hemangioma (AAP, AAD, Society for Pediatric Dermatology, StatPearls).
StatPearls (NIH) notes that salmon patches usually sit along the midline. The AAP says a port wine stain on the eyelid and forehead can be linked with Sturge-Weber syndrome, so doctors check for it. Hemangiomas grow most quickly in the first 5 to 7 weeks, and treatment for problem ones works best when started by about 1 month of age, so a new or growing red mark should be seen promptly.
Is Treatment Ever Needed?
Usually not. The AAP says most are totally harmless and need no treatment, and the Society for Pediatric Dermatology says most babies need no extra checkups. None of these sources recommends a cream, oil or massage to fade one.
For marks that stay, laser treatment is an option, for appearance only. MedlinePlus mentions it for marks lasting longer than 3 years. The Society for Pediatric Dermatology suggests asking your doctor if a facial mark is still very easy to see at age 1. Lurie Children’s notes that a pediatric dermatologist may recommend a pulsed dye laser.
Myths and Facts
Myth: a stork left it: Cleveland Clinic traces the name to folklore in which storks delivered babies.
Myth: it hurts: MedlinePlus lists no physical symptoms, and the Society for Pediatric Dermatology says it does not hurt.
Myth: a darker patch means pain: crying, straining and warmth deepen the color for a short time.
Myth: it grows with your baby: nevus simplex does not grow or thicken. A red mark that grows or becomes raised needs a check.
Myth: all red birthmarks fade: port wine stains do not, and hemangiomas grow before they shrink.
MedlinePlus advises having a provider look at all birthmarks at a routine well-baby exam. Call the office sooner if:
The mark gets larger, changes color, or becomes raised or swollen (Cleveland Clinic).
It is large or located in an unexpected area (AAP).
A flat mark is dark red or purple, especially on the eyelid and forehead, where the AAP says a port wine stain should be evaluated.
A red or bluish mark appeared in the first weeks of life or is growing (AAP).
The skin over a mark breaks down, bleeds or looks infected.
A lower back mark comes with other things you have noticed in that area (Cleveland Clinic).
Some skin changes are not birthmarks. Seattle Children’s Hospital advises calling your doctor or seeking care now if a baby under 1 month looks or acts abnormal, a baby under 12 weeks has a fever, or you see purple or blood-colored spots that were not present at birth, tiny blisters, pus-filled bumps or a painful rash.
A stork bite is a flat, pink or red birthmark that doctors call nevus simplex. It is also known as a salmon patch or angel kiss. It is made of stretched tiny blood vessels that show through a newborn’s thin skin, and it usually needs no treatment.
Do stork bites go away?
Most on the face do. MedlinePlus says facial marks usually go away completely in about 18 months, and the American Academy of Dermatology gives a range of 1 to 3 years. Marks on the back of the neck may fade without disappearing, and some last into adulthood.
What causes a stork bite?
According to MedlinePlus, a stork bite is due to a stretching (dilation) of certain blood vessels. The capillaries sit close to the surface and show through a baby’s thin skin. No listed source ties it to anything a parent did in pregnancy, and there is no known prevention.
Why does a stork bite get darker when my baby cries?
The mark is made of blood vessels, so its color follows blood flow. Lurie Children’s Hospital explains that it darkens when more blood flows to the area, such as during crying, breath-holding, straining with a bowel movement or getting warm. It settles once your baby is calm.
How can you tell a stork bite from a port wine stain?
A stork bite is usually light pink, sits along the middle of the face or neck, and fades with time. A port wine stain is typically darker and larger, does not go away, and can thicken as a child grows. Ask your pediatrician to check.
Do stork bites need to be removed?
No. The American Academy of Pediatrics says most are harmless and do not need treatment. If a mark is still noticeable later and bothers your child, a pediatric dermatologist can discuss laser treatment, which MedlinePlus mentions for marks lasting longer than 3 years.
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