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Hanru van Niekerk may have arrived a day early judging by his unusual '12' birthmark.

The birthmark appeared in middle of Hanru's forehead, despite him being born on November 11 - suggesting he may have planned to enter the world 24 hours later.

His proud family initially failed to notice it in the delight of welcoming the 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."

(Image: CEN)

The family from the city of Johannesburg in South Africa said they had got so used to the birthmarrk that they almost don't notice it and it's not prevented them enjoying the Hanru's arrival.

Dermatologist Patrice Hyde told the newspaper that babies can develop birthmarks before or shortly after birth.

She said: "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."

Hyde added 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.