If your baby is born with a large superficial hemangioma, often referred to as a strawberry hemangioma, don't panic. It isn't the end of the world, especially if it doesn't interfere with normal activities like eating, sleeping or breathing. It may be hard to believe, but according to the health care professionals I have consulted,  in most cases they go away on their own with no lasting effects. But there are still some things to watch out for.

We've Been There

Our child was born with a silver-dollar sized strawberry hemangioma on his torso and we were advised by our pediatrician that it would probably disappear by itself.  This process, called involution, is the most common outcome and often leaves the overlying skin smooth and clear of blemishes. The hemangioma was large, puffy, reddish, and rather unsightly, but apparently nothing threatening. 

Things were fine for a few months, at which time it started to appear brownish and greyish in the middle ... which we took as a good sign - an indication that it was starting to fade. And then it started to bleed.  And when he screamed, the blood literally squirted out. We applied pressure, called the doctor, and took him straight in for an examination.

Bleeding

What was prescribed, was a cream that is normally used for burn patients. We were to apply this burn cream twice daily and then bandage the area with Telfa gauze and paper tape (which we were able to find in a drug store after a lengthy search.)  We would prepare the gauze and paper tape and then set it up with a liberal amount of the cream before ever removing the old bandage. In that way, we were able to minimize the crying and opportunity for self-inflicted irritation. After a month of treatment, the hemangioma was beginning to fade as desired. A bandage was no longer necessary.

Interference

While our case did not require early intervention, in some cases it is unavoidable. If your child is finding it difficult to eat, sleep, see, or otherwise normally function because of the location of the hemangioma, it may be advisable to treat it early.  This can be accomplished with a combination of steroids and laser therapy, but is apparently a last resort since lasting marks on the skin can result from this course of treatment. Only in rare cases, such as interference with normal eye development, is early treatment normally recommended.

Advice

If your infant has a hemangioma, contact your pediatrician and have the child examined carefully. Not all hemangiomas are superficial, and in some cases they can reach deeply beneath the skin and impact internal organs. Additionally, they are occasionally associated with other ailments which can be revealed by further testing.  

IMPORTANT NOTE:  I am not a doctor or health care professional. The intent of this guide is to help other parents get the information they need to seek appropriate care for their child, and to allay some of their initial fears. Talk to your doctor about your child's own special situation before deciding on a course of action.  

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