A midwife just busted the biggest myth about birthmarks on babies.

Parents of newborns officially have one less thing to worry about.

Midwife Cath posted on Instagram yesterday about “stork marks” – small red marks that look like birthmarks, which generally appear on the back of a baby’s neck.

Do you know that all babies have a “stork mark” on the back of their head. It’s not a birthmark and will disappear after 12-18 months. Some babies also have the red areas on their eyelids and on their forehead. All normal kisses from the stork ????

A post shared by Cathryn Curtin (@midwifecath) on Jun 6, 2017 at 11:10pm PDT

“It’s not a birthmark and will disappear after 12-18 months,” Cath wrote. “Some babies also have the red areas on their eyelids and on their forehead. All normal kisses from the stork.”

Her post got a huge response.

“OH MY GOSH… I was so worried!!” wrote one follower. “No way!!! This all makes sense now,” added another.

Cath told Mamamia she was surprised to get such a big reaction to the post, but at the same time, not surprised.

“I know how much people want to learn about their babies,” she adds.

“As medical people, we take these things for granted. But I like to think how a mother and partner look at their child. They look at everything. So many mothers and fathers worry about that little stork mark at the back of the neck.”

Cath says some people are concerned that the baby has caused the mark. “I’ve had people think that the baby’s actually hit themselves or done something to their eyes.”

Listen: Midwife Cath discusses her concerns about bouncing baby contraptions on Hello Bump (post continues after audio…)

She says others think the mark is going to be there permanently. But that’s not often the case.

“Some adults have them for life. It stays, like a birthmark. But very rarely, and only the ones on the back of the neck, not the eyes and forehead.”

Once parents know the marks are harmless, they stop worrying. “As long as it’s not damaging to their baby, they’re happy.”

Oh, and the name? The correct scientific term is naevus flammeus. But everyone would agree that the idea that they’ve been left behind by the stork who delivered the baby is much, much cuter.

Does your child have one of these stork marks? Were/are you concerned?