A hemangioma, or strawberry hemangioma, is a distinct type of birth mark. It is a bright red patch of extra blood vessels. It shows up most often on the back of the neck, face and scalp but can appear anywhere on the body.
During the first year of an infant’s life, the patch will protrude from the skin as a spongy mass. It will grow up to two or three inches in diameter and then will stop growing and eventually disappear.
Almost all hemangiomas will disappear by the time the child turns 10 years old. There could be faint discoloration of the skin where the birth mark was.
Medical Implications
A hemangioma isn’t associated with other medical conditions and is usually benign. The diagnosis of a hemangioma is based on appearance so no diagnostic testing is done.
The child’s doctor will keep an eye on the birth mark at routine check-ups. If blood, a sore or a bruise shows up on the birth mark, as well as the birth mark becoming hard, contact the doctor. Although rare, these problems can lead to interference with the child’s hearing, breathing, vision or waste elimination depending upon where the hemangioma is located.
Cause
A hemangioma is more common among white, premature female infants, but it is not known why.
It is not known what causes these blood vessels to pool together but research shows there could be a link between the hemangioma and certain proteins produced by the placenta during pregnancy.
Treatment
Since most hemangiomas resolve on their own, doctors can be hesitant to use treatments to make hemangiomas disappear since treatment can have serious side effects.
Some parents feel the birth mark may be disfiguring and can cause social or psychological problems to the child as s/he grows older. Treatment may be possible if the hemangioma is interfering with the child’s vision or other senses. The treatments include laser surgery on the birth mark to stop growth, remove it or treat sores. The other treatment option is corticosteroid medications which can be injected, given orally or applied to the skin.
Since the side effects to the current treatments can include pain, scarring, high blood sugar, poor growth and cataract, researchers want to find other treatments with fewer side effects. According to the Mayo Clinic, experimental research treatments include beta blockers, interferon alfa and topical immune suppressants.
Remember, there is no need to worry if an infant has a hemangioma. Most will resolve and disappear on their own by the time a child is of 10 years of age. If the birth mark changes in any way, please see the doctor for further help as the birth mark could be infected.
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