Birthmark Question

My first daughter had something similar show up about a week or so after her birth over the soft spot on her head. Worried me to no end because of the placement! I too was told it would probably disappear after about a year. She is now a healthy three year old and while it is still there, it is much smaller.

My 11 year old has an "angel kiss" as we call it right between his eyes. When he was small, it was very noticable. Now that he is older, it has faded to the point that the only time I can really see it is when he is very angry or overly warm.

I can't really say a whole lot on this because I don't have the issue with my kids. I would suggest taking her to a dermatologist because there may be something the dermatologist can do. It just seems weird that it continues to grow. My boys have birth marks as well but they are very small(like freckles)and they are still smooth. They haven't grown any on any of my kids either. It may not be anything to worry about and it may disappear but I would get a second opinion anyway.
D.

I am 31 and have been married for almost 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7 and 4.

Y.,
Sorry to be so late to respond!
My daughter had one right on the edge of her hair line, as she got bigger-so did the birthmark!! Hers eventuall went away by her 1st b-day you could hardly see it. To this day she doesn't have much hair in that spot(she's 3)!!

Relax! It's all good.
"Don't sweat the small stuff"
R.

Congrats on your new addition! My son had one behind his ear when he was born. It did get bigger over the first 6 months, at one point fluid had to be removed to take the preasure off his ear drum. It was no big deal, he handled it fine. It was gone by the time he was 18months. No trace of it today. Just keep an eye on it. If it gets twice it's size, I would take her to a dermatologist. Good luck!

Hello, My cousin had a pretty large one on her back when she was born. It was so amazing at 5 Years old it went away. It started filling in with skin color and then vanished! She is now 8 years old and you can't tell it was there. Hers did not grow though, I would check with a doctor just to be sure growth is normal. Congrats on your new little blessing!!!

Y.,

When my son was born he had a strawberry angioma on his chest. I watched it grow and change in appearance. He is now 10 and has no trace of it. I really can't remember when it disapeared but it was after the age of one. I believe he was two or older when it disappeared. Just keep an eye on it but it should go away.

V.

Since it is getting larger, go with your gut instincts and get more opinions including a couple specialists.

My friend's baby had one and it DID get smaller as time went on and is now almost gone. However, I saw a show on Discovery Health that had the issue of it getting bigger and bigger - the docs originally said the same thing as what they told you, but were wrong. And it became more of growth that started to disfigure. I don't want to scare you, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

I just googled hemangioma and got this site: http://www.birthmark.org Maybe it will help.

My daughter had a couple small marks like that and they did go away, but hers never got any bigger. I would take her to a dermatologist if i were you. I have seen things on TV where people start out with a small spot on thier face and it eventualy takes over thier whole face. I think it was called a port wine stain. Kind of a dark red. They can be difficult to remove if they get too big. Hope this helps. L.

All of the information on hemangiomas can be confusing, especially when you are trying to decide what to do about your child. Hemangiomas are different for everyone. I will tell you that I reacted like you. My son had one on his forehead in his hair line about the size of a half dollar. Everyone said it will be fine, including the doctor. I was so panicked. I had watched the shows on discovery and I was concerned about plastic surgery and scars, etc. I would sit up late at night researching it on the internet and go to the library during the day. I was a mess. My doctor reassured me that everything was ok and told me to wait until he was 2. If at that point we were still upset, we would revisit doing something but until then, just sit and wait and alert her of any extreme changes. So we waited....

Well, needless to say, after his hair started growing in we kind of forgot about it, and I honestly can't tell you when it went away. I have looked at many pictures (even from before the hair) and it just disappeared. He is 8 now, and you wouldn't even know he had it.

I hope all of these responses help put your mind at ease. I know it is not easy to rest when you are concerned about your child.

Good Luck!

I would take her to the dermologist. My son has had some of those red marks but they did not get any bigger. They did go away. I would also like to say it would be good to pray about this situation

Father I pray in the name of Jesus for Yvonnes daughter. I release your healing power into her body. I command that strawberry hemangioma to go in Jesus name. By Jesus stripes she is healed. The healing power of Jesus is working in her body. I give you praise and thanksgiving for her complete healing. In Jesus Name I pray amen.

Be blessed..........:)

My son was born with a hemangioma also on the side of his face. It actually looked like a cigar burn (OHHH) I was determined that we were going to have it removed, but it faded and was totally gone before he started kindergarten. I didn't ever believe it when the doctors said it would fade away, but it did. Relax, and don't worry about it. If it doesn't fade and you want it to be removed, be persistent and don't let the doctors tell you no. You don't want her to be picked on when it can be something that can be prevented. Kids are cruel enough.

My daughter was born with a birth mark in the middle of her forhead that I was told would go away by the time she turned 1. Let's just say she is now 5 and it's still there. It may have gotten a little less obvious, but it's still there.

Leigh ANn

My niece has one on her arm that is quite large, red and bumpy. She is about 2 years old and it hasn't gone away. Perhaps talk to a dermatologist instead of the family doctor. Skin doctors can let you know other options if you are considerably worried. often there are topical treatments to reduce redness and even out texture. If it causes considerable concern I suppose you could consult and plastic surgeon as they may know of laser treatments or other topical treatments to lessen redness and undesirable texture.

I would tell your doctor that you want to get her checked by a dermatologist just to be on the safe side.

My son also had one on his abdomen. He is now 18 months and it is almost completely gone! It did start out small and then got larger and more raised. Now is it just turning back to his pale skin.

Y.:

Both of my twin girls have hemangiomas. One of them is larger than the other and they've told me that the hemangioma will grow faster than the baby for the first year and then it will turn purple and really ugly and eventually go away. The doctors told me that there might be a slight discoloration on the skin where the hemangioma was once it goes away. Not sure how helpful this was for you!

N.

Our baby had one on his abdomen when he was born. Strangely enough, his father had the exact same mark in the exact same place when he was an infant! The hemangioma faded slowly over time, and at 16 months it is just a real light faint pink. As for my husband, well we can't see any lingering evidence whatsoever.

My brother had one of these birth marks as a baby and it did get bigger before it disappeared. His did not go away until he was about 2 and I believe even a little still was visible until he was about 3. Your doctor is right though so dont worry.

My daughter has one on her left armpit/chest area. It started as a tiny freckle, and now it is about 1/2 inch long, 1/4 inch wide and slightly raised and bumpy(She's now 5 months). My Doctor told me the same thing. I do know this from others you have had this issue with their kids: Most of the time it does resolve itself by their 2nd birthday. It fades to a pearly grey and then goes away. Sometimes if it becomes bothersome a course of steroids is recommended. My frined had her daughters' lasered off (it was on her neck, but it was HUGE), but she had to pay 100% for it because it was considered cosmetic. It is usually a benign overgrowth of endothelial cells that found their way to the outside of the body (They usually line blood vessels). Your Doc most likely will do nothing unless it impedes her vision, breathing or eating. I am sure I am telling you everything you already know- but I hope this helps.

My niece had one on her face at a very young age and the Pediatrician suggested steroid injections directly into the Hemangioma. It got smaller and smaller with each treatment and eventually disappeared. He said the only other option was to have it surgically removed but then there would be scarring. The injections left no scar and you wouldn't even know it was ever there. I don't know what doctor told you that it would just go away because sometimes they don't. They just get bigger and bigger and look like huge dark purple tumors. Check into the injections. I'm sure you will feel too that it is a much less invasive treatment and you will be pleased with the results. Good luck!

I had one as a child and mine did not go away but by the time I got to kindergarten and before 1st grade my parents opted to have it surgecilly removed - mine was about a half dollar size and red pink and purple and in the middle of my forehead. the kids would push my magic button so they decided to have a cosmetic surgery to remove it. I might get a second opinion and they may say that you do have to wait until a year to do anything because the majority may go away. Good luck

My 4 month old daughter has one on her leg. Just as yours, her's started out smaller and is now growing. Her dr. said that this is normal for it to get larger before it starts to go away. I'm not to concerned with it because it is on her leg but I understand your concern because it is on your daughter's face. My niece had one on her back too and it went completely away so I believe it will eventually go away. Just give it sometime and don't stress to uch about it. I'm sure she is just as beautiful with it. Hope everything works out in your favor!!

My daughter has a strawberry hemangioma on her stomach that is raised and has gotten larger since she first came home from the hospital. Our doctor told us that it could get larger up to her first year and then start to fade. Since she's five months I can't tell you if that's true for our situation yet. A friend of mine's daughter had a strawberry birthmark on her forehead and saw a dermatolgist when she was older to have the birthmark reduced. This article seems to be helpful: http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bhealth/0,,3q7l,00.html.

Hope this helps.

My daughter had a small one on her back and it got to be a little bigger than a pencil eraser. Our pediatrician said it would probably fade away by the time she was 4. She is now 5 and you can hardly see it at all. You really have to look for it.

One of my friends daughter had a strawberry between her eyes when she was born. She took her to two specialist and both said "Wait, it will go away". It did. She's now 6 and you would never know unless you see her baby pictures. My friend was very apprehensive about leaving it because what if it didn't go away. Its a natural motherly response. Get a second opinion to make yourself at ease. Good Luck!

My son was born with a small red dot on his cheek and by the time he was six months it was the size of a dime. The doctor told me that if it did not go away by the time he was three, then it could be surgically removed. It started to shrink and by his first birthday it was gone. His is five now and there is no sign of it or any scaring. I have a niece that has one on her face that she has had since she was born. She is 10 I think and it has gradually gotten smaller over the past few years. It was the size of a lemon on her cheek when she was three. So, not that any of this offered much help, but to wait it out. And smile and say "It is Angel kisses", when people ask!

My daughter also has a hemangioma on the side of her face. She has had it since birth and it has not changed at all. My pediatrician said that it could become smaller/lighter as she get older. She is 4 and has not had any changes. It doesn't bother her. However, if it changed I would definitely take her to a dermatologist and have it looked at further just to be safe. I work in a surgeon's office and see alot! It would just make me feel more at ease to have it looked at. And, again, my doctor has never said much about it at all, so at least they don't seem to be a big concern!

Relax,
My sister Brooke had a huge one going down the back of her neck it disappeared before she was a year old.Her daughter had a horrible looking one on her shoulder,it grew got bumpy and lokked awful but now it is flat and almost gone.Hers took longer but being on her shoulder it was easy to conceal.My great nephew Max was born with a huge red mark on his face it went from above his eyes to his chin, it faded and now you only see it show up when he gets angry ,he's 3. It should fade away as do the diaper days.

Y.,
I would SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO go to a dermatologist and get a 2nd opinion. Just in case. Especially since it seems like your gut is telling you something other than what the doc is saying. It never hurts to get a 2nd opinion. Good luck & keep us posted!
A.

My son has a hemangioma on his right side, about two inches under his armpit. It is about the diameter of a pencil-tip eraser, and protrudes about an eighth of an inch from the surface of his skin, and a second one that is pretty much a part of the other, about half the size of the first. The information I've gathered, from the NICU and from his ped, is that it should shrink and/or disappear by the time he enters school, and if not it is able to be removed by then.
Evan's hasn't really grown other than to grow as he grows. It too started out as a small red patch of skin, and then started to puff out.

Hope this helps,
M.

My son has one too. It grew until he was about 6 months old, and is now 19 months old and is still there. It is the same size but has started to fade. Our ped said that it would eventually fade away, but didn't really give me an age that it would no longer be visable. From other mom's I have talked to usually around 3 or so is when it is no longer noticable, but every kiddo is different. Hope this helps.

A child I babysat for years ago had one & about 1 year of age it became skin colored but the bump was still there. I haven't seen him since he was 2, so I don't know if the bump ever went away. It may be something that can be surgically removed if it't real noticeable.

I noticed a raised "lump" on my 5 yr old's left shoulder blade last fall. Took him to our family physician who immediately sent us to Children's Hospital for a surgeon to examine him. The surgeon at Children's Hospital determined that this was a cavernous hemangioma. In other words, it sat below the surface of the skin. He told us that it had probably been there since birth and that it would go away on it's own. Since that time, we have had several more appointments with the surgeon, but the appointments were to monitor the lump and make sure it was going away, which it is.

I had done some online research when it was initially diagnosed (my concern was that since it had not been found until well after he was a year old, when would it go away?!?) and found infomation that stated it could take several years to disappear, but most would be gone by 5 years old (which is when my son's was discovered), but could take until puberty to go. The surgeon told me that we could go in and have it surgically removed, but since it was in a spot that it would cause no harm internally with any other body parts or organs, to let it go away on it's own.

My cousin was born with the same thing. I think it lasted until she was 3 yrs old or so, but she is six now and shows no sign of the mark. Her strawberry mark was very large (qarter to half-dollar size) but is now perfectly smooth and naturally colored. I don't think they put anything on it. Just relax and love her as much as you possibly can. She'll be fine.
R.

my bestfriend who now lives in germany went through this both of her children. the military docs told her it would go away in time & it kept getting bigger & bigger, on both kids it was right between the eyebrows & got so big it covered their eye. she finally got refered off post to a civilian doctor & they did surgery & had it removed about a month later. it made such a huge improvement on their mobilty & eyesight. not tryng to scare you, but i'm a firm beliver in 2nd opinions. good luck & god bless!

Hi Y.!

One of our duaghters had one on her forhead, it started just like you described, and it got big and bumpy in within a few months of her birth. She is 11 now, and it did go away. You can still tell where it was if you know what to look for, but it is no longer red, and no one ever notices. Going to a dermatologist is probably a waste of time, unless it is very close to her eyes or is iratiating in some way. They won't do anything about it because it is not harmful. We got used to seeing it, and hardly noticed it. Strangers often asked "what happend to her" and we sometimes did not even know what they were talking about, it was just her! One of her cousins drew a picture of her, and right on her forhead was the red dot!

Don't worry about it unless something else happens or it does not go away. It probably will be gone before she is two.

Now, when I see someone in the grocery store whose child has one, I always show them my daughter's forhead now, and let them see how well things can turn out, you will soon be doing the same...

M.

I have identical twin boys and one of them was born with the same thing on his wrist, it started out very small (and was how I could tell them apart!) and eventuall covered most of his wrist underneath. He is almost 3 now and you can barely see it. It would get very red/purple sometimes and be whitish/grey others. He has never had any problems with it at all. Most of the people I have talked to whose kids have had the same thing all said that it shrunk and/or disappeared. My pediatrician told me in the beginning that it could take 3-4 years to really shrink down. He did a very good job of explaining that it would get larger and then smaller again.

My daughter had five of them when she was born. They too changed a little. If I were you I would measure it and keep track of it and if it grows too much I would contact a dermatologist. My daughter is now 8 yrs old. The redness is all gone but you can still see a little of a raised spot where they were.

good luck