Dozen that birthmark look odd?

Dozen that birthmark look odd?

Baby is born with distinguishable number ’12’ on his forehead.

In ancient civilizations it was the number of labours undertaken by Hercules, the amount of gods who lived on Mount Olympus in Greek mythology, the number of Israeli tribes and the number of the apostles in the Bible and the total signs of the Zodiac.

Now the number 12 has cropped up in another mystifying setting – on a baby’s forehead.

Hanru van Niekerk was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on November 11, 2014, with a strange birthmark on his forehead in the shape of digits ‘1’ and ‘2’.

Some have suggested he was born early — and was actually meant to have arrived the following day on November 12 to correspond with the unusual birthmark.

Doctors have reassured the family of the boy that the markings will gradually fade with time.

Great grandmother Catherine Jooste said that they have embraced the peculiar birthmark, which was a ‘beautiful surprise’.

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.’ 

According to medical sources birthmarks come in two main categories, vascular or pigmented.

Vascular birthmarks tend to occur in the head or neck area, being caused by abnormal blood vessels in or under the skin, which can fade after a few months or years.

In comparison,pigmented birthmarks are tan or brown-coloured, caused by a cluster of pigment cells.

Most birthmarks are harmless and don’t need to be treated.

Read the short version of the story again and fill in the gaps with words from the text.

A baby in South Africa was born with a very special birthmark on his …………… (1) in the shape of two  …………… (2) 1 and 2, forming a very …………… (3) number 12. Doctors said that it will gradually …………… (4) as he gets older but the family didn’t worry about it and thought it was a beautiful …………… (5).

Birthmarks have two …………… (6). One occurs in the head or neck …………… (7) and disappears in a few months or years. The other is brown and is caused by pigment ……………. (8) Most of them are …………… (9) anyway and they don’t need to be ……………

Key:

1. forehead

2. digits

3. distinguishable

4. fade

5. surprise

6. categories / types

7. area

8. cells

9. harmless

10. treated