A mum is raising awareness of a rare condition that caused her baby to be born with a ‘unicorn’ birthmark that causes people to constantly stare in public.
A large mark on her daughter’s forehead was the first thing Claire Burt noticed when Lulu was born via C-section in September 2023.
The 31-year-old was “shocked” by its size, and the mark, known as a congenital melanocytic nevus, has continued to grow since.
The non-genetic condition happens by chance, and often increases in size and grows hair over time.
But while Lulu’s unique mark often attracts attention in public and on social media, her parents are determined to ensure she grows up accepting her differences.
“People always stare at her when we are out,” Claire, a stay-at-home mum from New Zealand, told Need To Know.
“Some think it’s cute, some ask about it, or we have had people laugh.
“It made me feel very uncomfortable with the staring – especially at the start.
“One day, we had to do three different flights in one day so walking around the airport everyone would stare.
“I would just look forward and not make eye contact.
“But now, I just smile.
“The comments can be very mean online and always from grown adults.
“It makes me so mad, but I will continue to spread awareness for Lulu and we will make sure she knows how beautiful and special she is as she gets older. “
Lulu’s nevus came as a surprise to her parents when she was born last year.
Claire said: “They brought her over to me [after she was born] and it was a big shock – I asked for my glasses.
“I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, it’s quite big’, but now it’s just her wee personality.
“It’s grown rapidly since then, but that’s quite common.”
Large congenital nevus’ like Lulu’s are so rare that they occur in just one out of every 20,000 live births.
While Claire often shares insights into the condition on TikTok (@life_of_a_binge_eater), raising awareness has unfortunately also led to some trolls telling her to have Lulu’s birthmark removed for cosmetic reasons – something that can come with risks as the skin often needs to be stretched prior to removal.
Claire said: “It’s not something we’re going to have removed unless it’s for a medical reason.
“We will let her decide what she wants to do when she’s older.
“But it’s pretty much on her hairline, so it’s probably going to be covered as her hair grows.
“I suspect by then you’ll only be able to see the tip of it.
“Anyone who looks at someone with any kind of condition and judges so quickly has obviously got something troubling going on in their own life.
“We’re going to teach Lulu to love herself and to know that she’s beautiful, special and unique.
“It’s just a wee special spot on her head that doesn’t define her.”
The new mum was worried when doctors warned that there was a chance the birthmark could turn cancerous, but after consulting specialists, the family were told it was unlikely in Lulu’s case.
But she does need regular monitoring on the off chance her condition changes.
The mum said: “She only has one nevus so she’s classed as low-risk.
“If babies have more than one – they normally have a big one and then a whole lot of little ones – that’s when you worry.
“Sometimes they can be internal, but Lulu is too little to have further investigations done at the moment.
“They can be on the lungs, the brain and in the eyes.
“They are saying at this point that they don’t think that will be the case for Lulu.
“But we will have it looked at down the line.”
Luckily, the sweet tot is thriving.
Claire added: “Lulu has such a big personality.
“She is so cheeky and loves to see everything that’s going on around her.
“She has already found her voice with laughter and squeals and loves to give snuggles when you pick her up.
“Posting about Lulu has made it possible for three women to message me from all different parts of the world saying they had no idea what it was called and their baby girls have the same one.
“It’s made them feel not so alone as they had no idea what it was called.”
