Strawberry Hemangiomas on Infants
Strawberry Hemangiomas on Infants are considered the most common tumors that occur in infancy. Even though I said tumor, I do not mean it as it is usually used, and that is when talking about cancer. In the case of Strawberry Hemangioma the tumorous cells are made up of tiny blood vessels and not any malignant growth whatsoever.
Strawberry Hemangiomas on Infants often go unnoticed at birth, even though they are considered a birthmark. Normally they do not become noticeable until a few weeks after birth. They seem to appear in females more than males and are more common in Caucasian infants than in other groups. They usually occur as only one solitary birthmark; however, in about 20% of these infants, there may be more than one mark.
Strawberry Hemangiomas on Infants usually undergo fairly rapid growth during the first 5 to 10 months. Even though they are for the most part quite benign, what sometimes begins as a mild blemish will become a very noticeable mark on the child. Once this rapid growth phase is finished, the size of the mark will only increase in proportion to the child's' growth. Over the next few years the bright color of the hemangioma will start to fade and the mark will disappear. Usually there will be little, if any, marks left.
Strawberry Hemangiomas on Infants will be completely dissolved in 50% of kids by age five and 70% of kids by age seven. The other 30% will show gradual fading and will be completely gone by their teenage years. The great majority of children with strawberry hemangiomas will experience no complications at all.
There are a very few who do have some problems. In less than 5% of children the birthmark can leave a small divot in the skin after it fades away. This occurs usually in the area of the lips. Also, very rarely, the hemangioma can enlarge and interfere with eyesight or even breathing. Also, these birthmarks can rarely involve the inside of the mouth and throat which could cause difficulty breathing.
Strawberry Hemangioma on Infants will hardly ever cause any significant medical or cosmetic issues, any medical treatment is usually only given to those in danger of the above mentioned complications. If your child is one of the high risk cases, high doses of steroids, given orally, is usually tried first. There has also been some success using laser therapy techniques. These treatments, even though they are relatively low risk, are only used in the more extreme cases.
