Overview
Salmon patch is the name given to a very common group of birthmarks seen in babies. The birthmarks are caused by expansions (dilations) in tiny blood vessels called capillaries. When a salmon patch occurs on the face, it is often called an angel kiss, and when it occurs on the back of the neck, it is known as a stork bite. These types of birthmarks are very common, and at least 7 in 10 infants will be born with one or more salmon patches. Angel kisses tend to fade by age 1–2 (although some parents report that, for years, when their child cries, the angel kiss temporarily darkens and becomes apparent again), and stork bites tend to not go away at all but are usually covered by the hair on the back of the head. Salmon patches are different from port-wine stains (discussed as a separate topic) in that salmon patches do not grow larger or darker and are not associated with any syndromes involving the brain or development. Salmon patches are always noncancerous. It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between a salmon patch and a port-wine stain.
In the past, port-wine stains and salmon patches were considered to be variations of the same kind of birthmark, but now it is now known that port-wine stains are truly malformations of capillaries and will never improve on their own, while salmon patches are temporary dilatations (expansions) of capillaries that do typically improve on their own.
