Duration
A stork bite can be detected in up to 50% of newborns.The number of adults who have a stork bite is much lower. This is due to the fact that in most cases the skin symptoms disappear within a year. Therapy should therefore only be carried out when it can be assumed that no further improvement of the stork bite is to be expected.
Laser or cold therapy is recommended at the earliest when the affected child is over 2 years old. If a neurocutaneous syndrome is present, a cure of the syndrome is not possible. In this case a symptom control of the occurring seizures should be considered above all. Even if the stork bite occurs in the context of a neurocutaneous syndrome, it can be removed with laser or cold therapy.
Other localization
The possible locations where a stork bite can occur are manifold. A stork bite on the eye can often extend into the forehead. Especially if the skin appearance is oblique in the course of a certain nerve, the presence of a neurocutaneous syndrome should be considered.
This nerve runs in the face both on the forehead and on the cheek, eye and nose. In addition to the eye, the stork bite can also be located at the nose. If the stork bite occurs on both the nose and eyelid, the possibility of a neurocutaneous syndrome should always be considered.
Since the nose as well as the eyelid is supplied by a nerve along the course of which the stork bite occurs in the context of the neurocutaneous syndrome, the suspicion in this case is obvious. The name of the stork bite can be traced back to its typical location on the neck and back of the newborn’s head. This is by far the most common location for the skin change. The presence of a neurocutaneous syndrome is less likely in this case than if it occurs on the eyelid.
