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Ask the Expert
Amy Paller, MD
Q: What are angel kisses and stork bites? That's what my friend called a red mark on my child's forehead.
A: Angel kisses and stork bites are also called salmon patches. They are thought to be sites where the blood vessels have not fully matured by birth and are somewhat dilated, giving the red appearance. Angel kisses are the ones on the face at the eyelids and the lower forehead at the midline. Stork bites are the ones at the back of the neck. In general, the vast majority of angel kisses will clear by age two or three. Usually about half of stork bites will clear, and for the ones that don't, they are often obscured by hair.
Dr. Amy Paller is the Chair of Dermatology and Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois.
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