An infantile hemangioma (hee-man-jee-OH-muh) is a type of birthmark that happens when a tangled group of blood vessels grows in or under a baby's skin.
Infantile hemangiomas become visible in the first few days to weeks after a baby is born. Hemangiomas that are visible at birth are called congenital hemangiomas. They grow differently and are treated differently. Infantile hemangiomas are much more common than congenital hemangiomas.
The two main types of infantile hemangiomas are:
Hemangiomas also may develop in organs inside the body, such as the kidneys, lungs, liver, or brain, where they can't be seen.
Most infantile hemangiomas grow larger for several months, then shrink slowly. They usually grow the fastest within the first 3 months. Shrinking may start in the later part of the first year and continue until a child is age 7 or older. Infantile hemangiomas often shrink (or involute) to the point that they're no longer noticeable.
Because hemangiomas grow and change, they're called tumors, but they're not a kind of cancer. Hemangiomas do not spread to other places in the body or to other people.
A child can have more than one hemangioma.
A hemangioma may cause problems by:
Also, a large hemangioma on the face can be associated with vascular anomalies in the brain.
Infantile hemangiomas often grow on the head or neck, where they can't easily be concealed by clothing. Sometimes, the appearance of a hemangioma can make a child the target of teasing or bullying.
The cause of infantile hemangiomas is unknown.
Hemangiomas are more common in babies born prematurely (before their due date), at a low birth weight, or as part of a multiple birth (twins, triplets, etc.).
Hemangiomas may run in families, but no genetic cause has been found.
An infantile hemangioma of the skin is usually recognized by how it looks and when it appears. Tests such as MRI or ultrasound scans can be done to see how far the hemangioma goes under the skin and whether it affects any internal organs.
Most infantile hemangiomas are not treated because they usually go away on their own. The skin usually looks better if a hemangioma shrinks naturally rather than being treated.
When a hemangioma is causing a serious problem — such as bleeding or interfering with vision — treatment may be the best option.
These treatments might be used alone or in combination:
If treatment is needed, your child's doctors will discuss the options available and which is most likely to work well with minimum scarring or other side effects.
When an infantile hemangioma goes away on its own, it may leave behind a flap of stretched skin. Depending on the look and location of the loose skin, it might be removed with surgery.
Reviewed by: Annie Kyoung Lim, DO
Date Reviewed: Nov 14, 2017
