Baby born with perfect NUMBER 12 on FOREHEAD

A BABY has been born with an almost perfect number 12 in the middle of his FOREHEAD - despite being born on the 11th. 

Hanru van Niekerk

Little Hanru van Niekerk, from the city of Johannesburg in South Africa, sports an unusual birthmark that may suggest he planned to enter the world 24 hours later. 

Amazingly, his proud parents initially failed to notice his strange marking in the delight of welcoming their new arrival. 

In fact his great-grandmother Catherine Jooste, 70, said it was only later that they noticed the number. 

She said: "My youngest daughter was the first one to see it and she said there is a 1 and a 2 on his forehead. 

"We did not worry about it, his doctor said it will fade as he gets older."

The family say they have got so used to it, they fail to notice and it has not prevented them enjoying Hanru's arrival.

Dermatologist Patrice Hyde said babies can develop birthmarks before or shortly after birth.

The birthmark will probably fade

She added: "Hemangiomas are a bunch of tiny blood vessels that grow in a specific area on the skin - that's why they usually look red or purple. Blood vessels are tiny tubes that carry blood through the body. 

"No one knows what causes blood vessels to group together, but it's good to know that most birthmarks aren't a sign of any kind of illness and usually don't hurt at all." 

Ms Hyde said that most birthmarks usually fade or disappear completely, but there are a few tricks and remedies to remove them if they were troubling or unsightly.

She said Corticosteroids are one of the most common ways used to get rid of birthmarks. They can be injected directly into the birthmark or taken orally. 

The medication usually slows down the growth of birthmarks and can make them shrink. Other ways include laser therapy and surgical removal if they fail to fade with time.

- Source: Express.co.uk