Strawberry Hemangioma

Hi J.,

My daughter developed a large hemangioma when she was about a month old. It was approximately the size of tennis ball. It was on her calf, so we opted not to do anything about it after her doctors decided it was not dangerous. Now she is 3 1/2 and you can't see it! It just slowly faded on its own. I expect that we'll never know anything was there when she is five.

I just wanted to let you know that unless your daughter has the dangerous kind, you don't HAVE to have the surgery. Ask your doctor if there is any chance it'll go away on its own.

Good luck to you and God Bless.

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Keep Jennifer's answer close to your heart. You say it yourself, it bothers YOU, not the baby. If you've been told it is not painful or dangerous, leave it at that. She can alwaus use bangs.

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I am usually supportive of Moms on here, but I have to know what are you thinking? You have this wonderful child and you are thinking of getting her cosmetic surgury at the age of four months??????? She doesn't have a health issue yet, why would you think of exposing her to a possible problem?

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My eldest son who is now 10 years old was born with a strawberry hemanginoma on the side of his head behind his left ear. It was large and raised & continued to grow until he was about 2 years old. I was concerned, but I waited as my pediatrician said it would eventually flatten and disappear. He was right. Around 2 years old, it started to flatten and the color was less red. As he got older it got smaller and after another year or so, you didn't know that he ever had it.

I know that his mark wasn't in as visible a spot as your daughters but I would recommend waitng a while before having surgery done. It won't hurt anyone to wait and see as she grows if it will shrink, flatten and disappear like most hemangiomas usually do. You won't have to worry about side effects & scarring. She may end up with just a small birthmark on her forehead. You can always have laser surgery done when she gets older.

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My daughter had 2 kinds of hemangioma on her chest and shoulder. It was the shape of Texas with a strawberry in the middle to make the capitol. I was really bothered at first. I just kept staring at this imperfection in my otherwise beautiful child, but then I started noticing other things. Like how lovely her eyes are, her bright smile and infectious laugh. It took a while, but I stopped noticing her flaw. The strawberry did go away, but the larger hemangioma will not. I also looked into what it would take to remove it. I went to a pediatric dermatologist over an hour away who was very highly recommended. Only skin grafts will take care of this for us. He spoke honestly with me about how surgery affects little ones. After careful thought I decided that I did not want to put my 3 year old through such a traumatic event. If she decides it's a problem when she's older, I will let it be her decision. I urge you to consider all the complications that are involved with surgery. It is putting the body through trauma. I advise that it should only be a last resort. I suspect that the kind of hemangioma she has will fade after a few years. You may want to give it time.I sometimes look at my daughter and feel really guilty for obsessing over that imperfection. She doesn't mind it so far. It's my issue not hers. The world is harsh enough without her mother nit picking about her looks... OMGsh I'm crying about it even as I type this. She did once ask what it was. Her Daddy had a rare moment of quick thinking. He said it was an angel mark. She asked what an angel mark is, and he said it was so we could tell her apart from the angels.
Only you know what's best for your daughter. Carefully consider everything and then follow your instincts.
God bless
H.

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Why are you embarrassed??? My daughter has on and I LOVE it and try to get it in pictures all the time.
My brother had one and it went away on it's own....your daughters will also. I also don't mind explaining to people what it is if someone asks.
Seriously...save your money.
This is so upsetting in more ways than one.

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hey there! listen, i know exactly how you feel. my dd has one on her hairline as well but off to the right a bit. and i hated it too. but i have good news. it is going away as she gets older. she just turned 20 months and it looks like a small red freckle now. :) i'm so glad i didn't do anything to her to remove it. because we went through the ideas as well. its up to you, but i thought i would share our experience. take care and remember, hats are cute!!

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Strawberry hemangiomas a VERY common in newborns (as evidenced by all the answers below) but how many teenagers, or even grade schoolers do you see with them? Very few, actually. Not becasue they had surgery, but becasue the hemangiomas usually DO fade on their own in the first few years of life.

My son was born with one about the size of a quarter and was slightly raised. The doc told us that surgery is not recommended for cosmetic reasons alone, instead it is generally reserved for cases where the hemangioma impedes normal function, like breathing, if it was under the nose, or vision if was near the eye. Also, it might be considered if the hemangioma was in a location where other skin or clothing was rubbing, causing it to open and bleed. None of those applied to my son, so we left it alone. By age one, it had faded A LOT. He tuned two in January, and is is barely noticeable now.

Just the fact that you found a doctor willing to do the surgery on such a young baby makes me wary. Honestly, I would wait it out a couple years, and then re-address it if need be. And, I would take some pictures without the hat. You'll be surprise find a few years that you will want to remember what she really looked like, birthmark and all.

don't get surgery, these usually fade within the first two years. My daughter had abig dark one on her upper arm. I can understand your frustration thought with it on her face. I'd try to wait it out. surgery is so invasive to the body. Could the surgery leave a scar?

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!! My daughter was born with one almost in the same place, though a little bit more to the side than in the center. She is 2 now, and you cannot even see it at all! It got bigger and bigger for a while, maybe 'til about age 1, and then it began getting smaller and lighter. I totally understand your pain....everyone always used to ask me about it too. : (

From what I've read, most of these go away by age 2 or 3. I would definitely give it time, and realize that it may get a lot worse before it gets better. But at this point, it's not bothering her at all, so I would hold off for certain. I barely even remember that my daughter had one unless someone brings it up. It's so light and now covered by hair--you can't tell it's even there.

My daughter, now 10, was born with one near the top of her shoulder. It has faded and has moved with her growing. Maybe hers will move more into her hairline as she grows. It doesn't bother my daughter at all.

My daughter was born with one in the middle of her back. It was really raised and I worried a lot about it. She just turned 4 and you can barely see the spot where it was. The doctor was right, it went away on it's own. I don't think I'd get an unnecessary surgery on my child, especially if she doesnt know the difference. Think of how she's going to feel going through the treatment for this. Bet she won't be happy.

Hi J.,
This thing is nothing new or unusual. They have been around for years, my daughter was born with in in the same place as your daughter and as she got older it just disapated. I was told by my family doctor, of whom delivered me and my children that it was the "Kiss of protection from an Angel." He said that as the baby grew it would go away. He added that when you have been kissed by an Angel, the warmth of their lips causes their lipstick to stay. He said that surgery was unnecessary for that and he would not even consider it if I had asked him.

He was not only a family doctor, he was our family friend and we considered him family. He was from the real old school and yes, he did give me the medical explanation about the blood vessels and how the scalp and head area is very vascular. He just used that Angel Kiss as a way to comfort and reaasure me. It was precious and very sweet of him. A few days later, she began to make baaaaa ing sounds like a sheep. I was frightened and thought she would never speak and sound like a sheep for the rest of her life because while I was in germany, a herd of sheep crossed my path and being frightened I grabbed my throat, of course I was pregnant, and had heard the superstitions about touching yourself when you are pregnant and startled. Our doctor simply told me, "hush! listen to that, she is just a little lamb of God." He then explained that baby's make those noises, some coo, some baaaaa, and some gurgle or make throaty popping sounds, he said it would stop in 1 - 3 weeks. It did.

Surgery and steriods are risky. You are right to be nervous. Give it time. Trust all of us who know, it will go away. No need to explain to people if someone asks just tell them "She was kissed by an Angel."

God Bless,

My angel is now 24 yrs. old. you'de never know she had been kissed. there is not even a trace and it was gone by the time she was 8 mths to year if I remember that far back. It was't long.

J.

I have two daughters and both of them have had these hemangiomas. My older daughter only had one and it was completly gone by the time she turned 2. My second daughter had 3. One very large one on her hand that wrapped through her fingers to both sides of her hand and 2 on her back. People always asked about the one on her hand, but I just explained that it was just a birthmark and it would go away with time. She is now 27 months and the one on her hand and one of them on her back is completly gone and the last one is much lighter only pink now and slightly raised. My pediatrician was never worried about them, said they were completly normal and best to just let it run their course. I used to not like the pictures that had her hand it them when it was very red and raised but now I like them the best they show something that was just hers. As long as she is not in pain or causing some medical problem I would hold off on surgery. Good luck no matter what you decide!

My daughter has the same thing, on the top of her head. It doesn't bother her, or me at all. The docs say that it should go away by itself, maybe by the time she is 2, she is now 17 months. Her hair now grows over it so it is barely noticeable. I would wait to see what happens. If it will naturally go away by itself that is much better than doing unnecessary surgery. I know they do surgery if it is huge and in danger of bleeding, so follow your doctor's advice. Your daughter is too young to worry about her image, and who cares what other people think. She is beautiful just the way she is. Maybe you could reconsider when she gets older if she still has it and it bothers her, but it will probably have gone away by then anyway. Good Luck!

My beautiful daughter has a total of eight hemangiomas throughout her body, the two largest are on her head. One on the back of her head is positioned right where she lays (it is about the size of a quarter).The other one is right over her soft spot. It is about the size of a half dollar, but elongated, and it stuck up like half a golf ball (this is no exaggeration!). I know how inquisitive and RUDE strangers can be. At first they bothered me, but I decided it was ME they were bothering, and I reminded myself how blessed I was that I had an otherwise healthy, happy baby. I started not to see them; I saw a gorgeous baby, not her birthmarks. Whenever anyone asked, I called them her special spots.

My pediatrician sent us to a pediatric dermatologist when my daughter began to hold her head to one side so as not to lay on top of the spot. By this time, they had both ulcerated, and the one on the back of her head had ruptured. (It was not pretty). Both the derm and the pedi were worried her neck muscles were going to atrophy on one side since she was only laying a certain way. To make a long story short, the derm started her on a new course of therapy. She has been taking a very small dose of a blood pressure medicine (Propranolol), and has had excellent results!!! The drug has been around forever, so they know the potential long term side effects on babies, and she is taking 1/7 of the dosage they give for true blood pressure treatment. I cannot tell you how much they have improved in four months time. (We started treatment when she was six months old). The one in back is barely noticeable. It has involuted, and the coloration is a light pink. If you did not know it was there, you may not notice it. She has thin blonde hair too! The one on her soft spot has completely flattened, gotten smaller, and it is now a pink color instead of the deep burgandy. I am so pleased with this course of therapy. We avoided any more ulceration of the spots, and they are no longer touch sensitive. I am most pleased with the one on the back; that is the one that was preventing her from laying on either side, and it was the one that ulcerated the worst.

I would not have surgery on our daughter; but that was our choice, and everyone has to come to terms with their own course of treatment. (I felt that I would not do a cosmetic procedure on myself, so I could not put my daughter through something cosmetic). I am sending you a link to the information published in the NE Journal of Medicine on propranolol treatment. Best of luck to you!!
It is so tough, but remember your daughter is beautiful with or without the spots!!
content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/358/24/2649

Hey J.,

I have experience with cortisone for scarring myself. I keloid very badly and have had those scars treated with cortisone injections. I have had wonderful results with the scars themselves going down considerably so chances are the cortisone will help with the potential scars your daughter may get. Remember not everyone scars up anyway and with her being so young, the chances are very good that scarring will be minimal if any. My now 10 year old fell off his bike at 6 top lip was busted up bad. You can hardly even see the scar that was there now but, at the time it was so bad he didn't want to look at himself. In fact it broke my heart when he said, "Mom am I going to look like this forever?" He's back to his adorable self.
Now the cortisone can tend to cause lightening in color around the area of the injection so don't be alarmed by this. Your doctor should explain that this is just temporary and skin will eventually go back to its normal pigment. I hope this was helpful, good luck.

Hi J.,

My daughter too had some dark, red strawberries when she was born.
One circle on one side of her chin, a long one going across her neck line and one on butt.

The doctor told me that they were okay and that they usually fade before they were 5 years old.

I had no way to hide them....and i looked at them as special beauty marks and eventually not even noticing they were there.

Of course, I had to deal with the advice of total strangers (so annoying) telling me how i should get them removed....i always thought to myself..."i do have a doctor".

But as the doctor said they slowly faded. getting lighter and lighter. till now they are just memories in pictures.

AS long as your doctor does not think there is a problem.

I say leave it.
Take lots of pictures of her with her hat off. She is beautiful and has a special birthmark and before you know it it will have faded.
And you will only have the pictures to show her special birthmark.
i know my daughter loves to look at her pictures...and she says...."look at my strawberries...i miss them".

take care and God bless you and your baby.
S.

DONT DO IT..... My daughter had a huge one on her stomach and I had one to when I was born. They slowly disapear. Dont get so worked up about it. You just have to be careful that you dont scratch it cause if you do they bleed. Believe my daughters started to thin out by her 11 month and now it is almost gone. Leave it alone, dont do anything to it.

Hi J.! Both of my children had/have hemangiomas. My son's was severe and required intervention. The recommendations are that unless is has ulcerated (opened up) or in a place that affects eating, breathing or vision the best course of action is to leave them alone . Most resolve completely on their own without any intervention. If it's still present when she begins to understand it's there then I would look for treatment. My daughter's have already begun to involute (resolve) on their own and she isn't even a year old. I would give it some time and then if it's continuing to grow look. I would also consult with a pediatric dermatologist that has experience with hemangiomas. But all that being said, if your insurance is covering the laser treatment I would go for it. My son went thru it and it was not a big deal. But I don't understand why they want to use steroids as well. The laser should stop the growth. Question the use of the steroids as some kids can have significant side effects. I would even seek a second opinion of a pediatric dermatologist that has experience with hemangiomas.
http://www.birthmark.org/hemangiomas.php

My daughter was born with that also..hers was more on top of her head closer to the back of her forehead.. we called it the panic button..It also bothered me alot and she wore alot of baldy bands and hats too..It took about 2 years to turn almost white and now is almost flat she will be 5 in June...fortunately her hair covers it..but 1 time my husband brushed her hair and it bled...It is your call because obviously she won't know anything but I would suggest if you are going to do anything do it when they are young...Good Luck

My daughter has a Strawberry Hemangioma on her bottom, so it is less visible. The pediatrician has told me that it should disappear during her childhood. However, she also has urticara pigmentosa, which is to say that she has about two dozen spots all over her body that may (or may not) disappear before adulthood. I have not, and will not, consider using medication or surgery to hide or eliminate these spots. I don't think it is worth the medical risks, and I don't want to teach her that she should use medication or surgery for cosmetic reasons.

Hi J.,
Well,neither of my kids have had this, but it seems like you've gotten a lot of responses specifically about hemangioma and the surgical options there. I did want to say that my 2 1/2 year old son had stitches about 7 months ago right on his forehead (hence his being Harry Potter for Halloween...) and the doctors all told me that the scar would migrate up his head as he grew. So, by the time he's full grown it will be well towards the top of his head. So it sounds like your daughter's scar would do the same thing? Something to ask the plastic surgeon at least. I hope this will help you, sounds like a tough decision... let us know and good luck!

my daughter had 6. If you can endure it - it will go away. the two biggest ones she had went away first. I would say after the first 9 months they started going down. At 5 now you can't even tell where they ever were. The only time I would recommend surgery is if it is obstructing an eye, mouth, nose, etc.